There is no denying, 2026 is going to be a big year in Survivor history. In fact, we’d argue that 2026 is going to be the biggest year in the show’s history, thanks in large part to the arrival of the show’s historic 50th season.
The new year will be filled with momentous moments for the franchise, but February, in particular, is set to be a historic month for Survivor. And we’re not just saying that because it will bring the premiere of season 50 – though that’s definitely a key factor.
CBS is set to air two weeks of special Survivor broadcasts in February 2026
Big Brother fans were puzzled by CBS’s decision not to bring back Celebrity Big Brother in February to air opposite NBC’s Winter Olympics coverage, but it seems there’s a key reason why CBS did not need to call upon Julie Chen Moonves and the Big Brother team this winter.
While in the past, CBS has used Celebrity Big Brother to fill its schedule during the Winter Olympics, the network is turning to Survivor with a two-week programming block designed to celebrate the franchise. From February 9 through February 20, CBS will be airing a total of 10 Survivor encore episodes, which showcase iconic episodes featuring members of the Survivor 50 cast. These episodes will air across multiple nights of the week, with Survivor essentially taking over CBS’s primetime lineup during the month of February.
These special episodes have yet to be announced, but CBS has revealed the schedule for these Survivor 50 throwback episodes which includes several two-hour broadcast blocks! Here’s a look at the full schedule:
- Monday, February 9: 8:00-9:00 PM
- Tuesday, February 10: 8:00-9:00 PM
- Wednesday, February 11: 8:00-10:00 PM
- Thursday, February 12: 8:00-10:00 PM
- Friday, February 13: 8:00-9:00 PM
- Monday, February 16: 8:00-9:00 PM
- Tuesday, February 17: 8:00-9:00 PM
- Wednesday, February 18: 8:00-9:30 PM
- Friday, February 20: 8:00-9:30 PM
February 25 is going to be a historic day for Survivor
The Survivor encore episodes all lead up to what is going to be a historic day for the series: February 25, 2026! This is the date that Survivor 50 will kick off, marking the start of the show’s historic 50th season – a season that marks a major milestone in the franchise’s run, one that has been 26 years in the making!
CBS is going big for the season premiere of the historic season with a super-sized Survivor 50 premiere. We’re not talking about a two-hour premiere, which has become standard for season openers. No, CBS is going as big as possible with a special three-hour season premiere on February 25!
This special three-hour premiere is likely designed so that the show can dedicate time to properly celebrate the Survivor 50 cast to give fans a refresher of their previous turns in the game. With the season kicking off, there’s likely to be a lot to process in the opening episode as these former players are broken up into the season’s three tribes and must begin to navigate their way through the game.
Following the three-hour premiere, the show will return to its usual 90-minute episode format for the majority of the season, though we won’t be surprised if CBS caps off the season with an extended season finale and perhaps even our first live-finale event in years!