The Challenge Cutthroat season 42 cast and trailer drop
The Challenge Cutthroat season 42 debuts Wednesday, August 5 on Paramount+, marking the flagship series' move off MTV after airing there since 1998. Paramount+ released the first trailer and full cast on July 15 for the Thailand-set season, which pits 24 veterans and rookies in a three-team race for $500,000.
Paramount+ billed the season as a Paramount+ original on July 15, ending the long run of new flagship episodes on MTV. While spinoffs such as All Stars already streamed, this is the first time the main Challenge series will premiere exclusively on a streaming platform.
Key Takeaways
- The Challenge: Cutthroat premieres August 5 on Paramount+ with weekly episodes at 12 a.m. PT / 3 a.m. ET.
- Season 42 leaves MTV for Paramount+ and revives the Cutthroat title last used for Season 20 in 2010.
- Twenty-four competitors film in Thailand, split into three teams, competing for a $500,000 prize.
- T.J. Lavin returns as host; veterans Johnny Bananas and CT Tamburello headline a mixed cast.
- The trailer and cast reveal arrived July 15 alongside Paramount+ premiere plans.
Why is The Challenge leaving MTV for Paramount+?
After nearly three decades on MTV, the core Challenge franchise is shifting its premiere window to Paramount+. Variety reports the series has aired on MTV since its 1998 debut, but Season 42 will roll out exclusively on the streamer.
That platform change matters for fans who track where new seasons land. For more on where major reality and scripted series are heading next, see our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
When does The Challenge: Cutthroat premiere on Paramount+?
Paramount+ set a Wednesday, August 5 premiere for The Challenge: Cutthroat, according to Deadline. New episodes will follow a weekly release schedule, dropping at 12 a.m. PT and 3 a.m. ET.
The streamer paired that date announcement with the season's first trailer on July 15, giving viewers a look at the Thailand location and the returning Cutthroat branding before August.
Who is in The Challenge Cutthroat season 42 cast?
Deadline lists 24 competitors for Season 42. Returning names include Johnny Bananas, Chris "CT" Tamburello, Cara Maria Sorbello, Victoria "Tori" Deal, Brad Fiorenza, Cory Wharton, Nelson Thomas, Michele Fitzgerald, Nurys Mateo, and Sydney Segal.
Newer faces and crossover stars round out the field: Adrienne Naylor, Alexis Lete, Anna Leigh Wilson, Cassidy Clark, Deb Chubb, Isabella "Izzy" Fairthorne, Reilly Smedley, Chris Underwood, Cedric Hodges, Josh Goldstein, Justin Hinsley, Keanu Soto, Leonardo "Leo" Dionicio, and Will Gagnon. T.J. Lavin hosts.
What is the Cutthroat format in season 42?
Variety notes that Cutthroat is a returning theme for the franchise, previously used for Season 20 in 2010. Season 42 was filmed entirely in Thailand and divides the 24 players into three teams battling for a share of the $500,000 grand prize.
A Paramount+ press release quoted by Variety states the only way to take home prize money is to cross the finish line together as a unit — though the trailer teases an additional twist. Johnny Bananas and CT Tamburello, both linked to the original Cutthroat era, return for this revival.
With the cast, trailer, and August 5 date now public, The Challenge Cutthroat season 42 sets up Paramount+'s next big reality swing — and a new chapter for a series that spent most of its life on cable.