MTV has canceled Catfish: The TV Show after nine seasons, ending a 13-year run for the series about online relationship deceptions, with producers permitted to shop the format to other outlets. The decision arrives weeks after the closing of the Skydance–Paramount merger, which has prompted cost reviews and schedule changes across the company’s cable portfolio. Trade reports say library episodes will continue to air on MTV even as no new season is planned.
The show, launched in 2012 from the documentary that popularized the term “catfishing,” became one of MTV’s longest-running unscripted franchises and a reliable schedule staple during years of linear decline. Its format—identifying and confronting digital impostors with the help of hosts—proved durable through cast transitions and pandemic-era remote production. Industry coverage notes that the network’s cancellation allows the producers to explore a move to another network or streaming platform rather than shuttering the production entirely.
Personnel changes set the stage for uncertainty. Kamie Crawford, who joined as co-host after Max Joseph’s exit, left in late 2024 and later said she was unlikely to return, describing her six-year tenure as complete. Meanwhile, attention on host Nev Schulman’s off-camera plans intensified this month amid reports of a real-estate pivot, fueling speculation about the show’s future before the network’s decision.
The timing underscores how legacy cable brands are rebalancing unscripted slates as corporate restructurings consolidate budgets and push buyers to weigh franchise value against production costs. For MTV, Catfish delivered steady viewership and a deep library that the channel can continue to program while testing new reality formats.
For the production, the nonexclusive path forward—shopping to third parties—keeps the concept in play at a moment when true-crime-adjacent reality and digital-culture docuseries remain active categories for streamers and FAST channels seeking recognizable IP. Variety reported that any potential continuation elsewhere would be negotiated independently of MTV.
