By Brianna Alleva
Currently airing on Disney+, Dancing with the Stars’ answer to the summer blues and lack of dance is DWTS: The Next Pro.
The show takes twelve dancers and makes them compete for a spot as the next professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars when it airs in September.
The contestants are young, sometimes noticeable, and all very good dancers. One contestant is also from the British counterpart to DWTS: Strictly Come Dancing.
The problem I have with the show, though, is that while the dancers can dance well enough, can they teach? Having the winner of the show head straight to teaching a celeb how to dance seems like we are skipping a step.
The troupe is the perfect place for dancers to gain experience, learn about the DWTS world and the cameras, and how everything works! Avoiding it or treating it like it’s an afterthought is a mistake.
Advertise on Streaming: Dancing with The Stars: The Next Pro
Audience Demographics for CTV Ads (Who is loving the show)
- Women 18–49 — Core audience, especially fans of reality TV, celebrities, and competition shows.
- Adults 25–54 — Strong established DWTS audience with household purchasing power.
- Young adults 18–34 — Social-media-active viewers drawn to dance, influencers, and entertainment.
- Dance & fitness enthusiasts — Interested in choreography, performance, fitness, and wellness.
- Families & co-viewers — Family-friendly entertainment that can attract multiple generations.
Typical Advertisements for Streaming (What is currently being seen)
- Beauty & personal care — Skincare, makeup, haircare, and beauty retailers.
- Fashion & apparel — Clothing, shoes, accessories, and online fashion brands.
- Food & beverage — Restaurants, meal kits, snacks, coffee, and grocery delivery.
- Fitness & wellness — Gyms, workout programs, fitness equipment, and wellness brands.
- Consumer & lifestyle brands
Suggestions for Advertisements (Who could be seen)
- Uber Eats / DoorDash: “You can’t order coordination. But you can order dinner.”
- Amazon: “For the dancer who has the moves but somehow needs 47 new outfits.”
- Dove: “Sweat, sparkle, spray tan. Your skin has been through enough.”
- Taco Bell: “Because after 8 hours of dancing, you’ve earned a Crunchwrap.”
Where to Stream: Dancing with The Stars: The Next Pro
- Disney+
- Hulu
The thing that makes DWTS different and a show/experience that every dancer, especially ballroom dancers, would love to be a part of is that it combines teaching with pros showing off their own dancing skills.
To be fair, I have yet to watch these contestants try to teach a non-dancer, and I do know it is coming up in future episodes, but what is wrong with starting on troupe?
All of the now professional dancers, who have become arguably more famous than the celebrities they are paired with, mainly started as troupe members (Jenna Johnson, Britt Stewart, Witney Carson, etc). The troupe is a great place to get your feet wet in the DWTS world.
Ultimately, this show signifies the producers trying to maintain popularity over having people dance and learn. Dancing with the Stars used to be a popular enough show to stick around and a niche enough show to actually enjoy without being pretentious.
Gone are the days when I can watch DWTS without a spoiler on every reel or video. This is not a bad thing persay but it means something is changing.
Viral moments, adding social media influencers as celebrities, interesting guest judges, and more have created DWTS 2.0.
That evolution from broadcast to streaming changes how advertisers should think about reaching this audience. Our guide to advertising on streaming breaks down how targeting and measurement work differently on platforms like Disney+.
A sign of the times: a smart show changing and keeping up with its audience. I do believe that DWTS will be sticking around for a while, and maybe The Next Pro is their way of expanding their universe.
Like it or not, my guilty pleasure show has become trending worldwide. Either way, I will still be watching.
