How to watch the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17 premiere tonight: Start time, channel and more

3 days ago 21

If your New Year's resolutions include reading more, you're in luck because a new season of RuPaul's Drag Race is about to drop this week. Season 17 will arrive on MTV on Friday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. ET with RuPaul joined once again by judges Michelle Visage, Carson Cressley, Ross Mathews, and Ts Madison in a quest to crown this season's drag superstar. The season premiere also features a very special guest judge, someone who knows a thing or two about a woman's world, Katy Perry. The new season stars 14 queens, and also brings with it a brand-new twist in the competition, the The Badonka Dunk Tank, an actual dunk tank that can earn contestants immunity and save them from elimination.

Episodes of Drag Race will air weekly on Fridays and are immediately followed by the series' beloved after-show, Untucked. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch the latest season of RuPaul's Drag Race when it premieres this week.

When is the RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 premiere?

Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race airs at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, January 3. Every episode of the show will be 90 minutes long, and will be followed by the weekly after show, RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked, at 9:30 p.m.

What channel is RuPaul's Drag Race on?

RuPaul's Drag Race airs on MTV on Fridays at 8 p.m. ET.

How to watch RuPaul's Drag Race without cable:

There are several ways you can watch MTV programming without a cable subscription, including Philo, DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV and YouTube TV. And while past seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race are available on Paramount+, the current season doesn't typically stream on the platform until some time after the finale airs.

Stream more than 70+ live channels including MTV, the Hallmark Channel, and A&E with a single subscription to Philo. Watch acclaimed originals and hit shows like RuPaul's Drag Race, along with blockbuster movies and more. Subscriptions are $28 after a free 7-day trial.

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RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 judges and contestants

This season, RuPaul will be joined by returning judges Michelle Visage, Carson Cressley, Ross Mathews and Ts Madison. Katy Perry will appear as the guest judge on the premiere episode this week, and guests judges throughout the rest of the season will include Sandra Bernhard, Julia Schlaepfer, Paul W. Downs, Hunter Schafer, Quinta Brunson, Jamal Sims, Law Roach, Adam Lambert, Betsey Johnson, Whitney Cummings, Sam Smith, Jerrod Carmichael, June Diane Raphael, Doechii, and Tracee Ellis Ross.

Season 17 of Drag Race will feature 14 queens competing to be “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” The new crop of competing queens includes:

Acacia Forgot (Los Angeles, CA)

Arrietty (Seattle, WA)

Crystal Envy (Asbury Park, NJ)

Hormona Lisa (Chattanooga, TN)

Jewels Sparkles (Tampa, FL)

Joella (Los Angeles, CA)

Kori King (Boston, MA)

Lana Ja’Rae (New York, NY)

Lexi Love (Louisville, KY)

Lucky Starzzz (Miami, FL)

Lydia B Kollins (Pittsburgh, PA)