The Traitors: New Blood premieres on September 17, 2026 with a two-hour, two-episode event, kicking off Season 5 of the Emmy-winning competition series and its first all-civilian cast. Here’s everything you need to know before tuning in, including when the episodes premiere, where to watch and a preview of what’s ahead.
‘The Traitors: New Blood’ Episode 1:
- Episodes: Episodes 1 and 2 (two-hour premiere event)
- Season: Season 5
- Air Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Host: Alan Cumming
- Filming Location: Ardross Castle, Scottish Highlands
- Network: NBC
- Streaming Service: Peacock
What is ‘The Traitors: New Blood’ About?
Hosted by Alan Cumming, The Traitors drops a group of players into a Scottish castle and secretly divides them into two groups: the Faithful and the Traitors.
All of the players work together on missions to build a shared prize pot. Throughout the game, the Faithful gather at the Round Table to try to identify the hidden Traitors, while the Traitors secretly murder Faithful players and continue pretending to be on their side. If every Traitor is identified and banished by the end, the Faithful split the pot. If even one Traitor survives, they take the whole thing.
Season 5, titled The Traitors: New Blood, is the first all-civilian season of the American series, with 22 everyday players chosen from more than 80,000 applicants. Players will be competing for a pot worth up to $250,000.
Earlier seasons featured a mix of reality stars and other recognizable public figures, many of whom entered the game with established personalities and reputations. This cast arrives with neither, giving everyone a fresh start in the competition.
How to Watch ‘The Traitors: New Blood’
The Traitors: New Blood premieres Thursday, September 17 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC with a special two-hour event covering the first two episodes, then streams on Peacock the following day. Episodes stream every Thursday afterwards on NBC and become available to watch on Peacock the following day. Previous seasons of The Traitors are also available to stream on Peacock.
You can watch NBC and stream Peacock through DIRECTV, making it easy to follow the game all the way to the finale. Get started today!
‘The Traitors: New Blood’ Episode 1 Preview
Here’s what to expect in the two-hour premiere, including a sneak peek from the trailer:
Premiere night features two episodes, running back to back from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. Alan Cumming welcomes 22 new players to Ardross Castle. Throughout the premiere, Alan will reveal his selection of the Traitors, the group’s first mission and he will run the first Round Table of the season. Viewers will learn who the Traitors are during the premiere, players will not.
The biggest change of the season is who is playing. The previous four celebrity-focused seasons produced a particular kind of Round Table, where public reputations, existing friendships and prior reality-TV résumés did much of the work of building suspicion. This cast has none of that, so every read has to be built from scratch off a few days of acquaintance, and every player starts the game equally likely to be a Traitor.
‘The Traitors: New Blood’ Season 5 Competitor Tracker
Traitors are revealed to viewers during the premiere, so roles are currently listed as “TBD”.
| Player | Hometown | Occupation | Role | Status |
| Abbey Benjamin | Mangham, LA | Nurse | TBD | Active |
| Abby Lee | Saint Paul, MN | Astrophysicist | TBD | Active |
| Arisa Thomas | Los Angeles, CA | Dog groomer | TBD | Active |
| Ben McDonnell | Granbury, TX | Barrel racer | TBD | Active |
| Clyde Moser | Charleston, SC | Teacher | TBD | Active |
| Jay Vinnedge | Oklahoma City, OK | Physician | TBD | Active |
| Joe Vanella | Wantagh, NY | Funeral director | TBD | Active |
| Katie Fites | Jacksonville, FL | Marketing manager | TBD | Active |
| Kim Daily | Houston, TX | Lawyer | TBD | Active |
| Kriste Lewis | Hattiesburg, MS | Realtor | TBD | Active |
| Logan Smith | Gatlinburg, TN | Realtor | TBD | Active |
| Madeline Kostopulos | San Diego, CA | Construction manager | TBD | Active |
| Mark Zgoda | Phillipsburg, NJ | Personal trainer | TBD | Active |
| Michael Foote | New York, NY | Lawyer | TBD | Active |
| Morgan Cook | Midland, MI | Content creator | TBD | Active |
| Niyyah Hayes | Indianapolis, IN | Therapist | TBD | Active |
| Shane Beatty | Staten Island, NY | Ironworker | TBD | Active |
| Sherry Kuehl | Leawood, KS | Writer | TBD | Active |
| Tomica Adams | Boston, MA | Pilot | TBD | Active |
| Victor Vollbrechthausen | New York, NY | Business executive | TBD | Active |
| Wyatt Gillespie | Ligonier, PA | Designer | TBD | Active |
| Xavier Scruggs | Wesley Chapel, FL | MLB analyst | TBD | Active |
‘The Traitors: New Blood’ Episode Schedule
Follow the season with the schedule below:
| Episode | Title | Air Date | Status |
| Episode 1 | TBA | September 17, 2026 | Upcoming |
| Episode 2 | TBA | September 17, 2026 | Upcoming |
| Episodes 3 and 4 | TBA | September 24, 2026 | Scheduled |
The season opens with a two-hour premiere covering Episodes 1 and 2, followed by a second two-hour block on September 24. New episodes air Thursdays on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock. This schedule will be updated as episode titles and additional air dates are announced.
Watch ‘The Traitors: New Blood’ on DIRECTV
Never miss a banishment! Watch new episodes of The Traitors: New Blood every week on NBC and stream them on Peacock through DIRECTV, and catch up on previous seasons of The Traitors anytime.
Don’t have DIRECTV yet? Sign up today!
Frequently asked questions
What is The Traitors about?
Where can I watch The Traitors?
DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.
