Big Brother returns Thursday, July 9, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, opening Season 28 with a 90-minute premiere and bringing host Julie Chen Moonves back to the franchise’s live, social-game format. The new season begins just two days before a Sunday episode that will also run 90 minutes, giving the series a longer launch window than its regular weekly rhythm.
The season will make history by becoming the first series to reach 1,000 original episodes in primetime, a milestone that underscores how long the competition has stayed on the schedule and in the conversation. After the premiere, Big Brother will air Wednesdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET, with hour-long Thursday editions built around live evictions and Sunday episodes at 8 p.m. ET.
The timing also gives CBS a quick one-two summer push. Big Brother: Unlocked returns Friday, July 10, at 8 p.m. ET, a night after the premiere, and will bring exclusive footage from inside the house, extended interviews, surprise guest appearances and behind-the-scenes access. For the first time, the companion series will also include a live studio audience, adding a performance element that changes the feel of the franchise’s off-night programming.
That audience detail matters because it signals that the network is not just extending the show’s run, but broadening how fans experience it. Big Brother: Unlocked will join the main series this summer as a separate window into the house, while the core broadcast keeps its familiar structure of Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday airings. The schedule gives the franchise a steadier weekly presence and more room for the live turns that have always powered the format.
Streaming options will follow the same split. Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers will be able to stream live through the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, along with on-demand access, while Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not get live streaming but will be able to watch on-demand the day after episodes air. For viewers, that means the return of Big Brother Season 28 Premiere is not just a date on the calendar; it is the start of a summer run built to be watched live, replayed later and discussed in real time.
