An ABC senior executive confirmed during a podcast interview that The Bachelor: Summer Games will be airing during the 2020 Summer Olympics. ABC will still be airing The Bachelorette as well as Bachelor in Paradise as normal too.
Back in February 2018, Bachelor Nation was treated to a four episode mini-series called The Bachelor: Winter Games, which aired during the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and also aired simultaneously with Arie Luyendyk’s season of The Bachelor. The reality competition show brought The Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants from around the world together to compete in winter-themed sporting competitions like skiing and figure skating while also searching for love. The series only aired for 10 days but was a big hit for ABC, and it looks like ABC is going to be bringing it back for the upcoming Summer Olympics in 2020.
During an episode of the podcast Bachelor Party (via ET Online), Rob Mills — ABC’s Senior Vice President of Alternative Series, Specials & Late-Night Programming — confirmed that The Bachelor: Summer Games would be happening, saying, “It’s going to be really fun.” According to Mills, ABC has found a “really great place” to hold the games, and “it’s going to be so fun seeing these people in these great [sports].” While attempting to find love with other Bachelor Nation contestants, those on the show will participate in activities such as track and field, swimming and other activities you’ll see during the Summer Olympics in 2020, with Mills emphasizing, “This is a real Olympics.” When Winter Games was airing in 2018, the two week series featured former leads of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette as guest hosts for events alongside Bachelor Nation host Chris Harrison, and Mills said that he’d “love to see Colton Underwood, Jordan Rodgers or JoJo Fletcher” appear this season.
When The Bachelor: Winter Games aired during the 2018 Winter Olympics, it aired at the same time as The Bachelor. Mills said that was “a lot” in terms of Bachelor Nation episodes on weekly. For The Bachelor: Summer Games, it will air as “just Summer Games, and then Paradise will start,” with the upcoming season of The Bachelorette wrapping up just before Summer Games. On top of this Olympics-based spin-off, ABC also announced the music-based spin-off The Bachelor Presents: Listen to Your Heartwill begin airing April 13. Bachelor Nation will be treated to a number of different shows throughout the spring and summer.
With the number of different shows airing for Bachelor Nation fans this spring and summer, viewers will certainly not be short on content. ABC is testing the waters with their music-based spin-off, and they’ve announced that they’re currently casting seniors looking for love. It’s clear ABC is trying to capitalize on the massive franchise they’ve built and see how they can expand the Bachelor Nation queue of shows. The Bachelor: Summer Games only runs for a short period of time, but if it receives a positive reaction, it’s possible the network could look into producing a full season of a sports-based series regardless of if it’s an Olympics year or not. For now, we hope all the contestants are practicing their synchronized swimming and brushing up on their canoe slalom skills!
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Source: ET Online
