Season 41 of the hit reality competition series “The Challenge,” titled “Vets & New Threats,” continues with Episode 11 on Wednesday, October 8 (10/8/2025), at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.
Cord-cutters can sign up for Philo (7-day free trial), DirecTV (5-day free trial) or other streaming services listed below to stream the episode live and on demand.
In tonight’s episode, “A King of Kamikaze,” “the Stake a Claim twist creates paranoia amongst the house; the Challengers show off their speed and strength in a challenge that sees them walking the plank; an intense nominations draws the line in the sand.”
Where to watch ‘The Challenge: Vets & New Threats’ live and on demand for free
Viewers without a cable subscription can watch “The Challenge: Vets & New Threats” live and on demand for free by using several streaming platforms that offer MTV, including Philo (7-day free trial), DirecTV (5-day free trial) and Fubo (5-day free trial).
We think Philo is the best option for Challenge fans, with the lengthiest free trial and cheapest monthly rate.
Sling’s Blue package also includes MTV and offers half off the first month of service.
What are the differences between the streaming services?
Philo – This is the best name for budget live TV around. You get 70+ channels and unlimited DVR for just $33/month, and it’s currently offering a 7-day free trial. You won’t find a ton of sports options on Philo, but if you love entertainment and lifestyle channels like Paramount Network, Comedy Central, BET and more, the price can’t be beat.
Read more: Why we think Philo’s free trial on its streaming service is best in class
DirecTV – Watch live TV from major broadcast and popular cable networks. Enjoy local and national live sports, breaking news and must-see shows the moment they air. Included: unlimited cloud DVR storage space so you can record as many shows as you want and stream them from wherever you go. DTV starts at $34.99 per month after a 5-day free trial when you shop their customizable genre packs.
Fubo – Fubo offers one of the widest selections of channels among live TV streaming services. More than 220 channels, including all the sports and entertainment you love, plus sports add-ons for those niche networks you rely on, and it all starts with a 5-day free trial and $30 off the first month of service.
Sling – One of the best deals in live TV streaming at just $45.99/month, offering customizable channel lineups for sports, news and entertainment. Now, Sling adds even more value with passes that let you stream live TV without a subscription: just $4.99 for a day, $9.99 for the weekend or $14.99 for a full week. These one-time payments are perfect if you just want to watch a single show, live game or special event. No commitment, no auto-renewal, just affordable access when you need it.
What is ‘The Challenge: Vets & New Threats’ about?
According to the series’ official logline per Variety, “For 40 seasons, generations of battle-hardened Veterans have fought relentlessly for the ultimate prize: the title of Challenge Champion.
“This season, fresh faces and new threats have entered the arena with one goal: to upend the old order and take it all. The Vets, driven by legacy and pride, will need to adapt fast. Their established hierarchy is crumbling, and leaning on past alliances, and experience is no longer reliable—it’s about navigating the ever-shifting landscape of alliances, betrayals, and unknown threats.
“To win, Veterans and New Threats will be forced to work together, unless they’re forced to turn on each other. Nothing is guaranteed.”
Who is in ‘The Challenge’ Season 41 cast?
The returning vets include some of the greatest to ever play the game, including fan favorites like CT Tamburello and Johnny Bananas, controversial characters like Turbo and Ashley Mitchell and even newly minted “vets” like new couple Olivia Kaiser and Theo Campbell. On the new threats side, expect a bevy of competitors from other Paramount properties, like “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race” and “Big Brother.”
What happened last time on The Challenge?
Last week, we finally get to see who chose partners well, and who is going to pay for their choice.
Things kick off highlighting some of the bitterness between the “Closet Alliance” (Olivia’s team) and the “Bedroom Alliance” (… Nany and Ashley’s team, wait, how did they become top dogs?). A lot of lines have been crossed, and this is a clear powder keg.
At the Daily Challenge, the new “permanent” teams are put to the test with a trivia contest doubling as and endurance test and tripling as a heights over water test. Players climb a stair machine that increases in speed with ever wrong answer. You need brains and athletics here, and unfortunately for CT and Tay, that combined duo appears to have neither. They both bail early, and they both get zero correct, so they are a lock for elimination.
Sydney shows her dominance again with 12 correct answers, but it’s the Michaela/Cedric power couple that takes this one, and is safe this week. They no longer get to nominate anyone, incidentally, so they are excluded from the house vote.
Back at the house, another diversionary fight occurs between Nany and Aneesa. Aneesa is still understandably sore from her spat with Ashley, and she finally lets Nany know that she is hurt that Nany appears to have taken Ashleys side. Nany flips a lid, and things nearly get physical as she screams at Aneesa for failing to move on. I think Aneesa’s feelings are justified here, and Nany’s reaction is overblown, but I suppose its valid that holding onto the grudge isn’t getting anyone anywhere. Anyway, Aneesa somehow ends up being the one to apologize to the whole house at the vote and what’s more frustrating there is that I’m sure Nany doesn’t have the emotional maturity to realize that she owes everyone at least as much of an apology, if not a bigger one.
Elsewhere, Gabe and Jonna aren’t clicking. This feels familiar from Gabe, but at least he keeps his mouth shut this time. Jonna is overanalyzing and trying too hard to get Gabe to think politically, and ultimately Gabe just doesn’t think highly enough of her to let her have any sort of sway.
At the vote, there’s an attempt to make it between America & Leroy and Adrienne & Theo. Everyone just likes Leroy way too much for that to ever pan out, and instead, it’s five votes for Adrienne & Theo.
TJ also reveals the “stake your claim” twist where everyone can challenge another player for their partner once for the rest of the season, but losing has the disastrous results of sending you directly into elimination. Gabe passes in this instance, noting that he doesn’t want to make waves this early in the second half.
At the Arena, one partner is blindfolded on a canon while the other partner has to verbally guide them to line up shots. Both the men are coaches, while the women are blindfolded. Theo is a better coach than CT (or just has a better eye) early on, but CT nearly catches up. The final score is 6-7 (don’t) against CT and Tay, so they head home.