Overview of the U.S. Broadcast Schedule
Dancing with the Stars airs on ABC in the United States, and its start time is often referenced in Eastern and Pacific Time because those are the default notes on national TV listings. If you are in Central Time, you are typically one hour behind Eastern and one hour ahead of Mountain. To determine when the show starts on your local calendar, confirm the network-side time first, then translate it to your zone. Exact local start times can shift between seasons, special weeks, and rerun blocks, so checking an up-to-date, localized source is the most reliable approach.
Standard U.S. Time Zones Relevant to TV Scheduling
Television networks publish schedules in Eastern Time, and affiliate stations air programs according to their local market. Central Time viewers can convert by applying a fixed offset relative to Eastern:
| Time Zone | Relation to Eastern | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern | Baseline | Primary reference for national TV schedules |
| Central | Minus 1 hour | Midwest and most of Texas |
| Mountain | Minus 2 hours | Mountain states |
| Pacific | Minus 3 hours | West Coast |
Example Calculation for a Typical Season Start
When DWTS premieres in the standard fall window, it often runs at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC. For Central viewers, that translates to 7:00 p.m. CT. Note that if the network shifts the start by 15 or 30 minutes for a special episode or lead-in, Central should move by the same amount.
How to Convert to Your Local Start Time
Because live TV scheduling can vary by affiliate and market, the fastest method is to check your local station or a trusted TV listings site. Open the ABC affiliate page for your city, search for Dancing with the Stars, and read the listed start time. You can also use national TV listing sites that allow you to select your ZIP code or market, which will automatically convert Eastern times to Central and display any pre-emptions due to sports, news, or specials.
Daylight Saving Time and Schedule Shifts
The United States observes Daylight Saving Time, which moves the clock forward one hour in spring and back in fall. This affects the offset between zones only in local clock terms; the network’s published Eastern time usually remains the same, so your local Central start time effectively shifts by an hour when the time change occurs. For example, a show that is 7:00 p.m. CT before the switch may become 8:00 p.m. CT after the clocks spring forward, even though the ET air time is unchanged.
Checking for Preemptions and Special Scheduling
Dancing with the Stars can be displaced by breaking sports coverage, major news events, or holiday specials. When this happens, networks may move the show to a different evening or delay it on streaming platforms. To avoid missing it, subscribe to your affiliate’s alerts, enable notifications in your TV provider app, and verify the time on an official listings site shortly before the episode date. The show may also appear on Disney+ in some regions, but local broadcast timing is still best confirmed through your local ABC source.
Year-Round Reliable Sources for Start Times
To keep current with any changes, rely on network-published data and major listings services rather than fan forums or outdated calendars. Direct sources include the ABC schedule page, your local affiliate’s program guide, and TV listing sites that use your authenticated location. These sources reflect contract shifts, temporary schedule moves, and new season announcements, giving you the most accurate Central Time start regardless of the time of year.