The Food Network is embracing the summer with back-to-back premieres of two primetime hits. “BBQ Brawl” with Bobby Flay and “BBQ USA” with Michael Symon will return on Monday, July 10 at 9 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m. ET.
Originally titled “BBQ Brawl: Flay v. Symon,” the cooking competition series first premiered in 2019. The 10-episode competition series follows chefs Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell and series newcomer Sunny Anderson as they coach 12 aspiring pitmasters from across the country. For the first time in the show’s history, the series will take place in California, which is home to Santa Maria-style BBQ.
In a press release, Flay noted that Burrell, who was last year’s winning team captain, is returning “to defend her title against me and new team captain, the fabulous and unpredictable Sunny Anderson.”
The series will begin with a supersized 90-minute premiere before transitioning to its usual hourlong format. Its finale set for Monday, Sept. 4.
The competition will then be followed by the second season of Symon’s cooking documentary series. First released in 2022, “BBQ USA” follows Symon as he explores barbecue culture in America. Along the way, he will host a series of challenges that will test the expertise of these pitmasters. In exchange, the winners will be awarded cash prizes and will be recognized as “masters of their craft.”
“My love for barbecue is no secret, and I’m also no stranger to cooking competitions, which is why I’m thrilled to be back on the road visiting the premier BBQ competitions across the country,” Symon said. “I love meeting the passionate pit and grill masters and connecting with them over their life’s passion for ‘cue and learning their tips and tricks to share with audiences.”
“BBQ USA” Season 2 will be composed of eight hourlong episodes. After its 10:30 p.m. ET premiere on July 10, the series will move to its regular time slot of Mondays at 10 p.m. ET.
“Viewers have been eagerly awaiting the return of our BBQ programming, as they relish the opportunity to have a front row seat into the diverse and delicious world of barbecue with experts Bobby, Anne, Sunny and Michael as their guides,” Betsy Ayala, head of content about food at Warner Bros. Discovery, said. “This summer, we will deliver more of what audiences crave, featuring the biggest and most intense competitions and the extraordinary people that make them come to life.”
