Catfish: The TV Show axed after 13 years as Nev Schulman teases real estate pivot

Catfish: The TV Show has been canceled by MTV after 13 years on screens, ending a nine-season run that helped redefine how audiences view online dating. Nev Schulman, who has fronted the program since its inception, signaled a shift toward a new career path in a public pivot that fans quickly connected to a real estate move. MTV confirmed the show's cancellation and said the network will not renew Catfish for another season, though producers may shop the format to other outlets, leaving room for a potential revival elsewhere.

Catfish launched in 2012, inspired by the 2010 documentary of the same name, and quickly became one of MTV’s most enduring reality staples. Over more than a decade, the series dug into the world of digital romance, unmasking online tricksters and offering candid insight into modern dating. The outlet Variety reported that MTV would not renew the show, while noting producers are free to shop the format to other networks, which keeps alive the possibility of revival beyond MTV.

The cancellation follows a public indication from Schulman that his personal career interests were shifting. The 40-year-old host, who has fronted Catfish since its first episode, recently shared a clip of himself cycling through busy New York streets in a blue suit, sunglasses and a helmet. Overlaying the video, he wrote: “On my way to help you buy/sell your dream home.” In subsequent posts, he clarified the caption, saying he was entering a “real estate era.” In September 2025, Schulman officially joined Coldwell Banker Warburg as a licensed real estate agent, signaling a substantial pivot away from reality television toward a new venture.

The show’s lineage includes a changing on-screen partnership. Max Joseph co-hosted from the program’s 2012 debut until his departure in 2018 to focus on filmmaking. After his exit, several guest hosts filled in before Kamie Crawford became Nev’s full-time partner in 2020. Crawford stepped away in 2024, leaving fans to wonder whether Catfish could continue without its original duo. Social media reactions to the news highlighted a sense of loss among long-time viewers. One fan wrote, “That’s the end of an era – Catfish was one of MTV’s longest-running reality staples. Nev Schulman really turned a single documentary into nearly a decade of stories about online relationships.” Another added, “Gonna miss this show,” while a third remarked, “Wow, end of an era. That show really changed the way we look at online relationships.” A further post captured the mood: “End of an era, this show was wild.” And others urged for Nev’s return or for fans to be patient as the franchise explored options for revival.

Industry observers note that Catfish carved out a unique space by blending suspense, emotional honesty and real-time online drama, helping viewers understand how online identities and relationships function in the digital age. The program’s approach influenced broader conversations about online trust, deception and the evolving social dynamics of dating in an era of social media, dating apps and evolving online communities. Its format, which paired investigative storytelling with candid conversations, stood out in a crowded reality TV landscape and became a cultural touchstone for many fans who followed the show for years.

With MTV not renewing the series, the door remains open for a revival on another platform or network. Producers can shop Catfish to broadcasters or streaming services that might seek to update the format for newer audiences, while preserving the core premise of uncovering truth behind online identities. For now, the show’s producers and network partners face a period of uncertainty about how best to reintroduce the concept, if at all, to a changing landscape that includes on-demand viewing, short-form content and alternative storytelling formats. In the meantime, fans and former cast members are left to reflect on a program that drove conversations about online dating long before the current social-media ecosystem fully matured, and to wait for any announcement about the potential return of Catfish in a new form.