Tonight is the season 9 premiere of American Ninja Warrior, where some of the best athletes in the country will take on the nation’s most challenging obstacle course in the hopes of walking away with the grand prize of $1 million.
This evening’s premiere will feature fan-favorite veterans Kevin Bull and Grant McCartney, who have both made it to the Vegas finals before. Viewers will also see a slew of new obstacles, six of which were designed by fans, like the “Battering Ram”, which has contestants grab onto a foam tube, slink their way across the pipe, and grab onto another foam tube. Over 77,000 athletes tried out for this season, and about half have never been seen before on the show.
Qualifying rounds for ANW will take place in six different cities, starting with Los Angeles. Contestants will then progress to the city finals, and the top 15 finishers from each city finals course will move on to the National Finals and take on Mount Midoriyama. Historically, only two competitors– Isaac Caldiero and Geoff Britten– have conquered Mt. Midoriyama. Caldiero was the only one to take home the grand prize money.
Read on to find out when and where to watch the show tonight.
PREMIERE DATE: June 12, 2017
TIME: 8pm – 10pm ET/PT
TV CHANNEL: NBC – Check with your local TV provider (ie. FIOS, Optimum, Time Warner) to find out what channel NBC is in your area. You can also use the NBC channel finder to look for your local stations by clicking here.
CITY QUALIFIERS:
Los Angeles, CA
Denver, CO
Kansas City, MO
San Antonio, TX
Daytona Beach, FL
Cleveland, OH
Speaking to USA Today recently, executive producer Arthur Smith revealed that they look for an overall success rate of 10-15% while designing the course. Co-executive producer Kent Weed adds on, “Dialing in that specific balance between success and failure is what I spend a lot of my energy doing.”
Weed added on, “Season 9 will be the most exciting season we’ve ever had, because the level that the athletes have attained now, especially women.”