How to watch the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17 premiere tonight: Start time, channel and more
If your New Year's resolutions include reading more, you're in luck because a new season of RuPaul's Drag Raceis about to drop this week. Season 17 will arrive on MTV on Friday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. ET with RuPaul joined once again by judges Michelle Visage, Carson Cressley, Ross Mathews, and Ts Madison in a quest to crown this season's drag superstar. The season premiere also features a very special guest judge, someone who knows a thing or two about a woman's world, Katy Perry. The new season stars 14 queens, and also brings with it a brand-new twist in the competition, the The Badonka Dunk Tank, an actual dunk tank that can earn contestants immunity and save them from elimination.
Episodes of Drag Race will air weekly on Fridays and are immediately followed by the series' beloved after-show, Untucked. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the latest season of RuPaul's Drag Race when it premieres this week.
Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race airs at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, January 3. Every episode of the show will be 90 minutes long, and will be followed by the weekly after show, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, at 9:30 p.m.
RuPaul's Drag Race airs on MTV on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.
There are several ways you can watch MTV programming without a cable subscription, including Philo, DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV. And while past seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race are available on Paramount+, the current season doesn't typically stream on the platform until some time after the finale airs.
This season, RuPaul will be joined by returning judges Michelle Visage, Carson Cressley, Ross Mathews and Ts Madison. Katy Perry will appear as the guest judge on the premiere episode this week, and guests judges throughout the rest of the season will include Sandra Bernhard, Julia Schlaepfer, Paul W. Downs, Hunter Schafer, Quinta Brunson, Jamal Sims, Law Roach, Adam Lambert, Betsey Johnson, Whitney Cummings, Sam Smith, Jerrod Carmichael, June Diane Raphael, Doechii, and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Season 17 of Drag Race will feature 14 queens competing to be “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” The new crop of competing queens includes:
Where to watch RuPaul's Drag Race: Live stream Season 17 anywhere
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Racers, start your engines — RuPaul is back for a 17th season. We've combed through all of the viewing options to highlight everything you need to know about where to watch RuPaul's Drag Race, including live streaming and on-demand options.
This season will bring together 14 new contestants who will compete for $200,000 and the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar" across 90-minute episodes. The new season offers a splashy twist, the Badonka Dunk Tank, which will allow contestants a last chance at staying in the competition — at the expense of possibly dunking Michelle Visage in water. The guest judge lineup this season is absolutely stacked. Katy Perry, Quinta Brunson, Paul W. Downs, Hunter Schafer, Law Roach, Sam Smith, and Tracee Ellis Ross are among the many celebs slated to make an appearance.
The streaming options get a bit complicated, but we'll break down what you need to know below. Keep reading to learn how to tune into the show, whether you want to watch new episodes or catch up on past seasons.
RuPaul's Drag Race airs on MTV in the US. New episodes drop on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET, starting on January 3, 2025.
Cord-cutters without access to MTV can still tune into RuPaul's Drag Race live with the help of a live TV streaming service. Philo, Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, and Fubo are some of the best month-to-month live TV streaming services out there.
You can stream past seasons of Drag Race on-demand on Paramount Plus, which we'll dig into later, but new episodes usually aren't available on the app until after the latest season has finished airing, so we recommend subscribing to one of the above live TV packages if you'd like to watch the new season now. These services also have solid DVR capabilities and a robust on-demand selection, so they'll be able to help you out if you can't watch a new episode right when it airs but don't want to wait a few months to stream it.
Philo is the cheapest of the bunch and one of the best budget live TV streaming services out there. The app comes with 70+ live channels, including MTV, Paramount Network, and AMC, among others. Subscriptions cost $28/month and include a one-week free trial.
Sling TV is the next cheapest option. Subscriptions start at $46/month for either of the service's base plans, but you'll also need to get the Entertainment Extra add-on for an additional $6/month to access MTV. This extra also grants viewers access to TV Land, Paramount Network, Logo, and more. In total, this will run you $52/month, but Sling is currently offering $23 off your first month of service, making it less than $30 today.
DirecTV Stream and Fubo are two of the more comprehensive live TV streaming services out there. They're great options for those who are seeking a cable alternative with tons of live channels in addition to MTV. DirecTV Stream subscriptions start at $87/month and include a five-day free trial, while Fubo subscriptions start at $80/month and include a seven-day free trial.
If you're looking to watch past episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race or don't mind waiting a while to see the new season, Paramount Plus is the way to go. The streaming service has all 16 past seasons and should eventually get Season 17 as well. In the past, the latest season has become available sometime after it finishes airing in full in the US. Subscriptions start at $8/month for the Essential tier, which offers ad-supported on-demand streaming. You can upgrade to Paramount Plus with Showtime for $13/month for an ad-free on-demand experience, in addition to CBS live streaming and access to Showtime content. All subscriptions, including annual plans, come with a one-week free trial.
If you're traveling abroad and don't want to miss out on a new episode, you can still keep up with most of your usual watch options (like Philo, Sling, and Fubo) with the help of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are handy cybersecurity tools that enable people to change the virtual location on their electronic devices so that they can still access their go-to websites and apps just like they would back home. Since the services we've recommended today require US payment methods, this option will work best for Americans who are just traveling away from home at the moment.
ExpressVPN is our top recommendation. The user-friendly app has impressive security perks, a massive selection of servers, and tons of other assets, which we break down in our ExpressVPN review. Subscriptions cost $12.95/month for the flexible plan, but you can find savings in a long-term contract. Plus, the app has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The official RuPaul's Drag Race YouTube channel dropped a Season 17 trailer in mid-December. The preview offers a sneak peek of some of the upcoming drama this season, as well as a first look at a few of the guest judges. Check out the full video below:
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17: Premiere date, time, streaming and cast members
"Gentlemen, start your engines," because the newest season of "RuPaul's Drag Race" premieres this week.
Hosted by the renowned RuPaul Charles, "RuPaul's Drag Race" is a reality competition series in which drag queens compete for cash, lifetime supplies of cosmetics and undoubtedly the title, "America's Next Drag Superstar." The series' 17th season premieres Friday.
Deemed the "splashiest season in herstory," Season 17 of features drag queens from Los Angeles to New York to Chattanooga, Tennessee. A few former champions, including Season 9 titleholder Trinity the Tuck, will make guest appearances, alongside other celebrities including Katy Perry and Quinta Brunson.
Here's what to know about when and where Season 17 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" will be available.
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Season 17 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" premieres at 8 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 3.
Season 17 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" premieres live on MTV at 8 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 3. New episodes will be released at 8 p.m. EST each Friday until the 16-episode season concludes.
For viewers who don't have cable, the season is available on streaming services Hulu, Paramount+ and Prime Video. The season is also available via live television services like Pluto TV, fuboTV, Philo, Fandango at Home and YouTube TV.
Fourteen drag queens appear in Season 17 of "RuPaul's Drag Race":
Each episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race" features a celebrity guest judge, who joins the permanent lineup made up of RuPaul and Michelle Visage. Carson Kressley, Ross Matthews and Ts Madison are among three rotating judges who are also featured each episode.
The official Season 17 trailer teases the following guest celebrity judges:
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Season 17: Watch the First 10 Minutes of the -Themed Premiere (Exclusive)
New year, new Ru!
Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race premieres this Friday, Jan. 3, and PEOPLE has an exclusive preview the season opener. You can watch the first 10 minutes above.
The 14 new queens are put right to the test as they're picked up in mysterious unmarked vans and driven to a secret location, where they are lined up behind a set of double doors.
As the doors open, they learn they are competing in the Squirrel Games, a parody of Netflix's Squid Game. The first challenge, called "Ru Light, Green Light," will test the queens' ability to strike a fierce pose and freeze when the music stops.
Inspired by the Korean drama's infamous "Red Light, Green Light" game, if the Lil' Pound Cake statue detects any movement after turning around, the queen is pied and eliminated!
Monitoring the action from above and pushing the buttons is a masked RuPaul, a nod to Squid Game's enigmatic Front Man.
Joining the new queens for the Squirrel Games are Drag Race alums including previous All Stars winners Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Trinity the Tuck and other fan favorites including Kerri Colby and Morgan McMichaels.
Fans of the long-running, Emmy-winning competition series will also recognize Victoria "Porkchop" Parker amongst the crowd, the first queen ever eliminated way back in season 1 (2009). Porkchop is the first one pied during the Squirrel Games, an homage to the special place she holds in Drag Race history.
In the drag community, "squirrel" is play on the word "girl," and queens affectionately call each other "squirrel friends." Squirrels are known for hiding their nuts, and its common practice for drag queens to "tuck" to achieve a more feminine shape.
The queens who survive "Ru Light, Green Light" and advance to the Werk Room are: Acacia Forgot (Los Angeles); Arrietty (Seattle); Crystal Envy (Asbury Park, N.J.); Hormona Lisa (Chattanooga, Tenn.); Jewels Sparkles (Tampa, Fla.); Joella (Los Angeles); Kori King (Boston); Lana Ja’Rae (New York); Lexi Love (Louisville, Ky.); Lucky Starzzz (Miami); Lydia B Kollins (Pittsburgh); Onya Nurve (Cleveland, Ohio); Sam Star (Leeds, Ala.); and Suzie Toot (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
Later in the preview, fans are introduced to the first batch of queens, including one who describes her drag as "avant stoopid" and another who calls herself an "elusive elven deity."
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Be sure to tune into MTV on Friday, January 3rd at 8:00 PM ET/PT to meet all the new queens and special guest judge Katy Perry!
Season 17 Of RuPaul’s ‘Drag Race’ Brings Back An Iconic Twist
RuPaul’s Drag Race returns next with an all-new cast, and fans have already taken to social media to place their bets on who they think will be America’s next reigning Drag Superstar. The excitement for the season has only been amplified with the announcement of a certain return twist in the competition. For a reality show to maintain its relevance in its audience’s minds, it must find a way to reinvent itself, and Drag Race is no stranger to that.
After generating ample amounts of conversation from fans in the previous season, the infamous “Rate-A-Queen” segment will mark its return on the forthcoming first episode of season 17. At the start of season 16, the cast members participated in a staple talent show challenge. They were divided into two groups, with the groups being separated by episodes, and were asked to perform their respective talents individually. After the talent show was done, each member was asked to rank their peers based on who they believed performed the best overall in the talent show, but with the added twist that whoever came out on top in the rankings would be able to compete in a lip sync for a chance at an immunity potion that would allow her to stop herself or a fellow queen from being eliminated once at the time of her choosing.
The rankings revealed the varying tasters and strategies amongst the new batch of queens. Like Plane Jane, who had a personality perfect for reality TV, chose to adjust her rankings strategically to ensure that she'd secure a placement in the top. After recieving their rankings, competitors Q and Sapphira Cristál were chosen as the top performers of their group. Sapphira triumphed in the lip sync battle, marking her as the first queen in the herstory of Drag Race to receive an immunity potion. Following their battle, Plane Jane, having succeeded in securing her top placement, faced off against Geneva Karr and emerged victorious, earning her the next potion.
Throughout the various seasons of the franchise, there have been different methods for queens to gain immunity, but none allowed them to choose when to use it. For instance, in seasons 1 through 5 of Drag Race, queens could earn immunity in a previous week’s challenge, but they had to use it immediately in the following week. In season 14, each queen received a randomly assigned chocolate bar that they would open upon elimination to see if it contained a golden ticket, allowing them to remain in the competition. This twist helped secure frontrunner Bosco’s position when she was nearly eliminated after the "mirror, mirror" runway.
This seemingly simple addition had fans on the internet buzzing, with speculations gaining traction on which queen was going to be at the bottom or if the Rate-A-Queen immunity recipient would save them or save themselves, whether or not they wasted their immunity by using it, or if they were going to make it through the season without having to use their immunity at all. It’s no surprise that the twist is returning; however, with the announcement of the new Badonka Dunk Tank challenge, the queens will have a chance to gain immunity powers through a giant dunk tank harboring judge Michelle Visage with a new twist involved.
At this point, we won’t know if the Rate-A-Queen challenge will allow the contestants to earn this chance at immunity like the previous season, or if something else will be required because of the twist mentioned above. As we start our engines in preparation for season 17, it’s entertaining to contemplate the creativity and strategy that each episode will bring. The caption “the game is new” has left fans speculating about what changes might come with the twist. Regardless, this season promises to be another enjoyable staple in the Drag Race franchise.
