The Challenge: USA is giving fans of MTV’s longtime competition series a spinoff version featuring the stars of CBS’ Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race, and Love Island.
It’s allowing fans unfamiliar with those cast members to see them compete on the popular competition show or letting fans unfamiliar with The Challenge see how their favorite CBS stars do.
While MTV’s Spies, Lies & Allies season had disappointing numbers throughout the season, so far, CBS’ spinoff show has been enjoying more success with viewers.
Much of that may be thanks to being on network television rather than cable and following the popular reality TV game show Big Brother.
The premiere episodes of both shows appeared to be popular with viewers, and based on recent numbers revealed, Episode 2 of The Challenge: USA was also popular.
While CBS’ premiere for The Challenge spinoff didn’t necessarily pack a lot of drama into it, Episode 2 featured much more, which could sell fans on watching the season as it unfolds.
The Challenge: USA ratings steady for Episode 2
With The Challenge: USA, Episode 2, viewers watched as the new twist, known as the Algorithm, created “random” teams for the next daily challenge.
Among them was a team featuring former Love Island exes Cashay Proudfoot and Cinco Holland and a team featuring two Amazing Race stars, James Wallington and Cayla Lee Platt.
Things got interesting in the game as Tiffany Mitchell’s flirty friendship with Cinco was in the spotlight, and other castmates seemed to want the Big Brother mastermind out of the game. Ultimately, enough people convinced the daily challenge’s winning team of Tyson Apostol and Justine Ndiba to send in Tiffany with her teammate, Cashel Barnett.
Despite a close race in the elimination event, Cashel and Tiffany’s time ended on the show in just the second episode. That reduced the Love Island group by another person, and Big Brother 24’s Cookout saw their first alliance member eliminated.
Regarding The Challenge: USA ratings for Episode 2, Showbuzz Daily reported that nearly 2.2 million viewers turned in for the show during the 9 p.m. Eastern Time slot. In terms of its rating, the show dropped only slightly from Episode 1’s rating, down by 0.05 to 0.36.
The first episode aired at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time and was 90 minutes long, while the second episode moved to its regular time slot with a runtime of 60 minutes.
The Challenge: USA, Episode 3 details
Four individuals have gone home through the first two episodes of the CBS spinoff show. In the premiere, it was the Love Island duo of Cely Vazquez and Javonny Vega. Episode 2 featured Big Brother star Tiffany and Love Island’s Cashel getting eliminated.
As fans have seen, the teammate pairings switch up at the start of each episode due to the Algorithm. In addition, host TJ Lavin revealed that competitors need $5,000 in their bank accounts to qualify for his final. So far, only Tyson, Angela Rummans, and Justine Ndiba have done that.
According to the listings, The Challenge: USA, Episode 3 will air on Wednesday, July 20, and has the title Declarations Of Independence. A teaser trailer for the third episode arrived after Episode 2 concluded on CBS and Paramount Plus.
Based on the teaser, the competitors will participate in a daily challenge called Hang On Man. It appears to feature some competitors balancing on a narrow beam as they have poles on their shoulders with ropes hanging from the ends. There are also letters involved, so this is probably another puzzle-based challenge.
A voiceover has one individual, possibly Sarah Lacina, saying they’re going to “intimidate all these girls, so they don’t want to mess with me.”
Another scene in the trailer has Cashay getting emotional as she talks about Cinco with one of her castmates. Yet another scene shows Survivor star Tyson Apostol appearing to strategize with his teammate from the first episode, Angela.
“We have to get rid of the weakest people right now,” Tyson says as Angela is shown laughing.
So far, Tyson has looked like the favorite to win The Challenge: USA, as he was a winner in the first two daily challenges with teammates Angela and Justine. Can he make it three in a row, or will someone dethrone the Survivor star in Episode 3?
The Challenge: USA airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on CBS.