'Drag Race' Makes Huge Announcement, Promising Biggest Premiere Yet

Talk about upping the stakes.

Mikelle Street

Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.

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Mikelle Street

December 18 2020 9:59 AM EST

May 26 2023 1:29 PM EST

MikelleStreet

In 12 seasons, RuPaul's Drag Race has come a long way. We all joke about season one's Vaseline filter, then broadcast on Logo TV. The show was truly a diamond in the rough, in ways a parody of Project Runway and America's Next Top Model. Since, it's brought on a global following, celebrity megastars as judges, and spurred entire cottage industries. It's gone from Logo to VH1, and spawned franchises around the world. Now, season 13 will bring with it what is possibly the biggest expansion yet.

Premiering on January 1, 2021, the Emmy award-winning RuPaul's Drag Race will simulcast its premiere on The CW Network, MTV, MTV2, PopTV, and Logo. Yes: one show, six channels. It will give its 13 new queens their biggest audience ever in the history of the show. They might not have Miley Cyrus, Ricky Martin, or Lady Gaga, but they'll have this.

The decision is an interesting one that is no doubt hoping to up the eyeballs on the show for the rest of the season back on VH1. Untucked will only be available on VH1 and only the premiere will be simulcast. This follows last year's announcement that RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars season five was set to air on Showtime. That decision was reversed in light of the ongoing global pandemic.

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As always, Drag Race hopes to make it all an event. Beginning on Friday, December 25, the show will host a marathon of every season on Logo. Then, on New Year's Day ahead of the premiere, VH1 will host its "Very Ru Year" movie marathon featuring Clueless, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Mama Mia. Heidi N Closet and Jaida Essence Hall will function as hosts.