For several years now, The Amazing Race has felt like it's unfortunately on life support. It's been barely hanging on and moving a lot slower than the other longtime running CBS reality shows.
Survivor has kept up its trend of airing two seasons a year, and The Amazing Race used to do the same, but dropped it in 2015 and has only brought one season per year since then. Even with those yearly seasons, there hasn't been consistency in where they've fit into CBS's schedule. The show nowadays leaves fans guessing for so long on when a season will air after it's been filmed. Now with it's 32nd season, fans have been left waiting longer than ever. The season was filmed in the final months of 2019. It was a quick turnaround from season 31 which was filmed in the summer of that year, and also has been described as a back to basics style season to differ from the reality TV personalities that were in season 31. However, the wait between these two season airing has been a year already and possibly far longer. With many shows not being able to film due to the pandemic, this season of The Amazing Race seems perfect to fill a time slot in the summer, yet there still hasn't been any official word whatsoever on when it will be released.
It's bizarre considering the short wait between filming and the fact that the show had also began filming its 33rd season this spring, though it did have to be cancelled in the middle of the race due to early worries of the coronavirus. CBS clearly has no plans to get rid of the show; it just unfortunately is often used as a backup plan. The last few seasons were thrown wherever they fit in the first half of each year. Season 31 was in the spring, 30 was in the winter and occasionally it was placed on Friday nights which wasn't a great sign for its future. It filled in wherever there was empty space.
The show has lacked the strength of consistency in its recent schedule, but still managed to return one way or another each year. Fans expected that it would be very similar with season 32. The host Phil Keoghan has vocally wanted the show to return as soon as possible, so it has always been in the network's hands.
There doesn't seem to be much clear reason for it to have not filled in for another show and have started airing in the spring or winter of this year. But with filming of many other shows having already been affected and questions being raised about whether or not other CBS reality shows such as Big Brother or Love Island will film, it makes almost too much sense for The Amazing Race to fill up a spot in the schedule for a few months with a season that's been finished and waiting in a vault for far too many months. Networks are still playing it by ear when it comes to how they'll adapt to the pandemic, but The Amazing Race is due for a return; odds are high and fans are hopeful that it will find its way into the CBS schedule at some point in the summer or fall. The wait being that long is already not ideal, but taking much longer than that would be too bizarre.