The Challenge Season 42 Cutthroat hits Paramount+ Aug. 5
The Challenge Season 42, titled Cutthroat, premieres August 5 on Paramount+ as a streaming exclusive, ending the flagship’s MTV run. Twenty-four veterans and newcomers compete in Thailand on three teams for $500,000, with the winning captain deciding how to split — or keep — the prize.
Key Takeaways
- The Challenge: Cutthroat (Season 42) debuts August 5 on Paramount+ with weekly drops at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET.
- The flagship leaves MTV after airing there since 1998; this is its first exclusive streaming season.
- Twenty-four competitors film in Thailand across three teams racing for a $500,000 prize.
- A Cutthroat twist gives the winning team’s captain sole power to split the money or take it all.
- Host T.J. Lavin returns alongside veterans like Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio and C.T. Tamburello.
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When does The Challenge Season 42 premiere?
Paramount+ will release The Challenge: Cutthroat on August 5. New episodes arrive weekly at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET, keeping the familiar weekly cadence even as the show’s home changes.
According to Variety, the series is now billed as a Paramount+ original. It has aired on MTV since its 1998 debut; while The Challenge: All Stars already lived on the streamer, this is the first time the flagship will be exclusively streamed.
What is the Cutthroat format and prize twist?
Cutthroat revisits a theme from Season 20 in 2010 — the same season fans link to the “Johnny Bananas backpack” moment. Fittingly, both C.T. Tamburello and Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio are back for Season 42.
Filmed in Thailand, the season fields 24 competitors split into three teams. A press release cited by Variety says the only way to take home a share of the $500,000 is to cross the finish line together as a unit. The twist: the team captain can decide how to split the winnings — or take it all.
Deadline adds that nominated captains must balance dominance with loyalty or risk losing power, while solo players must prove they can be team players to stay in contention for the cash.
Who is in The Challenge Cutthroat cast?
T.J. Lavin hosts. Deadline’s cast list includes Brad Fiorenza, Cedric Hodges, Chris “CT” Tamburello, Chris Underwood, Cory Wharton, Johnny Bananas, Josh Goldstein, Justin Hinsley, Keanu Soto, Leonardo “Leo” Dionicio, Nelson Thomas, Will Gagnon, Adrienne Naylor, Alexis Lete, Anna Leigh Wilson, Cara Maria Sorbello, Cassidy Clark, Deb Chubb, Isabella “Izzy” Fairthorne, Michele Fitzgerald, Nurys Mateo, Reilly Smedley, Sydney Segal, and Victoria “Tori” Deal.
Variety also rolled out the official trailer alongside cast photos highlighting a mix of Challenge veterans and reality-TV rookies. Bunim/Murray Productions produces, with Julie Pizzi, Justin Booth, and Jacob Lane among the executive producers.
Bottom line for fans: The Challenge is still competing for the same high-stakes money — just on Paramount+, under a Cutthroat rule that puts trust and greed at the center of Season 42.