Tristen Sanders Survives Bottom Two in 12-Dancer 'Next Pro' Premiere

Q: With Hollywood's biggest stars launching new shows simultaneously, which streaming giant will win this week's battle for viewers?

Netflix looks best positioned to win this week’s viewer battle, though there is no hard ratings data yet to prove it. The strongest case is volume and breadth. Netflix is releasing both “The Hawk” on July 16, a Will Ferrell-led sports comedy with a broad mainstream appeal, and “Heartstopper Forever” on July 17, the finale film to a well-established young-adult romance franchise with a loyal global fan base. That gives Netflix two distinct audience draws in back-to-back days. Apple TV+ has a prestige play with “Lucky,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Bening and Timothy Olyphant. It may generate strong critical attention and solid sampling, but Apple typically operates with a smaller subscriber base than Netflix, which can limit total viewing even for buzzy originals. Prime Video’s “Ride or Die,” led by Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham, is also a serious contender. Its action-comedy premise and recognizable cast could travel well, especially if all episodes drop at once. But based on the information provided, it has one major launch this week, while Netflix has two. The available background also supports Netflix’s momentum more broadly. It recently posted one of 2026’s biggest original-series debuts with “I Will Find You,” showing the platform still has the largest breakout potential when it launches high-profile titles. So the most evidence-based answer is Netflix, with Prime Video likely the closest challenger and Apple TV+ the prestige alternative.

3 articles · Updated · WSB Atlanta · Jul 14

Atlanta dancer Tristen Sanders, 28, advanced past the premiere of “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro” after landing in the bottom two men.
Monday night’s debut featured Sanders performing a jive with Erik Linder to “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars as he competed for a pro spot on the main show.
The series is narrowing a 12-dancer field to find a new professional for the next “Dancing with the Stars” season, set to air later this year.
If Sanders wins, he could be paired with an already announced celebrity contestant such as Atlanta native Ciara Miller or Savannah Bananas star Jackson Olson.