Mark your calendars. Big Brother 28 is coming back — and this time, it’s bringing television history with it. CBS announced this week that the new season premieres Thursday, July 9 with a 90-minute episode, kicking off what the network is already calling its “biggest season yet.” Julie Chen Moonves returns as host. And if that wasn’t enough, this is the season Big Brother becomes the first primetime series in television history to air its 1,000th original episode.
One thousand episodes. In primetime. No other show has ever done it.
Premiere Week Schedule
CBS isn’t easing into this one. The 90-minute season premiere drops Thursday, July 9 at 8:00–9:30 PM ET/PT, followed by a second 90-minute episode on Sunday, July 12. The companion series Big Brother: Unlocked also returns — premiering the night after the main show on Friday, July 10 at 8 PM ET.
From there, the regular weekly cadence takes over. Ninety-minute episodes on Wednesdays, one-hour live evictions on Thursdays, one-hour Sunday episodes. If you were on board with last season’s expanded runtime format, BB28 is delivering more of the same.
A Historic Milestone — The 1,000th Episode
This isn’t just another summer of slop competitions and backdoor blindsides. CBS made the milestone explicit in its official announcement.
“Reaching a historic milestone as the first primetime series to hit 1,000 original episodes, BIG BROTHER returns for its 28th season. The season ushers in a landmark summer as Houseguests enter the iconic BIG BROTHER house, with unexpected moments and a season packed with twists and turns.” — CBS
The show first premiered on July 5, 2000, and has been a CBS summer staple for 26 years running. It’s now the longest-running adaptation of the Big Brother franchise worldwide, following the end of the Spanish version in 2022. Four digits in original episodes is the kind of number that belongs in the same conversation as television’s all-time greats — and CBS clearly knows it.
What’s New in Season 28
Big Brother: Unlocked is back for its second season, and it’s getting a significant upgrade — a live studio audience for the first time ever. Per CBS, the companion series will feature exclusive footage from inside the house, extended interviews, surprise guest appearances, and behind-the-scenes access. Last season, the show was co-hosted by BB24 winner Taylor Hale and BB16 winner Derrick Levasseur. Whether they’re returning for BB28, CBS hasn’t said.
The cast is also still under wraps. CBS hasn’t announced any houseguests yet — historically, those reveals drop about two weeks before premiere, which puts the window in early July. Worth noting: fans on X have flagged that the BB28 press release doesn’t include the phrase “all-new houseguests,” a detail missing from only one other season’s announcement — Big Brother 22: All-Stars. CBS hasn’t confirmed returning players. The internet, predictably, is already spinning.
Coming Off a Strong Season 27
BB28 has real momentum behind it. Season 27 — set inside the mystery-themed Hotel Mystère — wrapped on September 28, 2025, with Ashley Hollis taking home the $750,000 grand prize. Runner-up Vince Panaro and America’s Favorite Houseguest Keanu Soto rounded out the finale. The two-hour finale drew 4.3 million viewers on CBS, the show’s biggest audience in more than three years and a 33% jump from the Season 26 premiere.
Live feeds will be available on Paramount+ and Pluto TV starting at premiere — giving superfans their 24/7 fix from day one.
The cast reveal should land before the end of June. Until then, the speculation is half the fun. This summer, history is officially on the line.
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