Survivor is showing off its “masterminds.”
The popular CBS series released an exclusive sneak peek of its upcoming new episode this week featuring Taylor Swift’s hit Midnights single “Mastermind” while showing off some of the show’s new challenges and strategic contestant plays.
As the opening tune of “Mastermind” plays, several contestants can be seen walking on a beach in small scenes that fit into a puzzle piece. The scenes then cut to show the contestants making fires, jumping in the water for a challenge and walking into their new camps.
“I’ve watched every season of Survivor,” one contestant says in a voiceover, while another notes, “This is strategic excellence on display.”
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Several other shots show one woman trying to figure out clues and codes, a man using his skills to cut down a branch with a blade, and teams celebrating with each other and giving high-fives.
“I’m always thinking, I’m always trying to figure out what’s going on in other people’s brains,” new contestant Brandon “Brando” Meyer says in a confessional.
The show, which kicked off its 45th season on Sept. 27, promises in the trailer to release extended 90-minute original episodes on CBS and Paramount+. Survivor’s premiere episode is currently the No. 1 most-watched entertainment episode on the streaming site, the company said in a press release.
The new trailer featuring Swift’s song will premiere during the Alabama vs. Texas A&M college football game airing Saturday, Oct. 7, and also airing during the NFL double-header on Sunday, Oct. 8, on CBS.
Contestants on ‘Survivor’ challenge each other to win immunity. ROBERT VOETS/CBS
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The inclusion of Swift’s song comes as her rumored new romance with NFL player Travis Kelce, 34, has dominated headlines, even helping to bolster recent NFL ratings.
The Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets game last Sunday — which Swift, 33, attended with several celebrity friends including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Sophie Turner — drew an audience of nearly 27 million people, making it the most-watched Sunday TV show since the Super Bowl, per NBC.
Notably, more women — likely Swift fans — tuned in for the broadcast compared to previous weeks. NBC reported that it saw a 53% increase in viewership among girls 12-17, a 24% increase among women 18-24 and a 34% increase from women 35 and up.
Taylor Swift cheers from a suite as the Kansas City Chiefs play the Chicago Bears at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 24, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. COOPER NEILL/GETTY; NORM HALL/GETTY
In July, Kelce first floated the idea that he was interested in Swift, saying on his podcast, “I wanted to give Taylor Swift [a friendship bracelet] with my number on it,” and adding that he was “a little butthurt” that his initial plan did not work out.
The pair eventually ended up connecting, with Swift attending a Sept. 24 Chiefs game in Kansas City — where the duo was later spotted together at an after-party. Swift also attended the Chiefs-Jets game in New Jersey on Sunday.
Survivor airs on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS and is available to stream on Paramount+.
