The Real Reason Why the ‘Survivor 49’ Finale Is Being Interrupted
- - The Real Reason Why the ‘Survivor 49’ Finale Is Being Interrupted
Mike BloomDecember 17, 2025 at 4:24 AM
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Robert Voets/CBS
We'll have to wait just a little bit longer to hear Jeff Probst announce the winner of Survivor 49. That's because the jam-packed three-hour Dec. 17 finale of the hit CBS series will face a pause about a third of the way through the episode.The reason stems, surprisingly, from the White House. On Dec. 16, President Donald Trump announced that he would be doing an "address to the nation" the next evening. The speech is set to run at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, smack dab in the middle of primetime programming, including the Survivor finale.
🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 "CBS News will air a Special Report for President Donald J Trump's live primetime address to the nation from the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 9 p.m., ET. CBS News' Norah O'Donnell will anchor and be joined by chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes, reporting from the White House," a statement from the network said.It continued, "The Survivor finale (starting at 8 p.m., ET/PT) will resume where it left off immediately following the president's address for Eastern and Central Time Zone viewers on the CBS Television Network and air in its entirety. Check your local listings for more details."
Related: Who Will Win ‘Survivor 49’? After Watching Every Episode, Here Are Our PredictionsThat means that Survivor fans will get to watch an hour of the finale, uninterrupted. The show will then stop down for the address, including possible pre- and post-segments. Once coverage has concluded, the episode will resume from where it left off, including any subsequent eliminations, the Final Tribal Council, the winner reveal, and the on-island aftershow. Any estimated time for when the finale will finish won't be determined until the speech has ended.It should be noted that the statement only addresses the Eastern and Central time zones. Those on Pacific time will be able to watch the finale without pause, as Trump's address is happening at 6:00 p.m. PT. Additionally, it is not known at this moment if fans who are watching the show live, but internationally (i.e., in Canada), will also get pre-empted, or will be able to watch some parts of the finale ahead of the U.S.
Related: Jeff Probst Reveals How the Biggest ‘New Era’ Changes Came to ‘Survivor 49’ — and Whether They’re Here to Stay (Exclusive)Just five players remain in contention for the million-dollar prize and the title of Sole Survivor: Kristina Mills, Rizo Velovic, Sage Ahrens-Nichols, Savannah Louie, and Sophi Balerdi. The finale will feature one last vote-out, the customary Final Four Firemaking challenge, and the jury interrogating the finalists. Not only will a winner be crowned, but fans will also get their first look at the highly anticipated Survivor 50, coming to our screens on Feb. 26, 2026.So, regardless of when the finale actually ends for those in the Eastern and Central time zones, it should be well worth the wait.
Related: 'Survivor 49' Finale Sneak Peek: The Final Five Scramble for a Game-Changing Advantage (Exclusive)
This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
