Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Hartman will be the lead of "The Bachelor" when the show comes back for its 30th season. ABC announced the pick on Friday, Nov. 13, and set a two-hour premiere for Sunday, March 21, 2027, from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
New episodes stream the next day on Hulu, and on Hulu on Disney+ for U.S. bundle subscribers.
The date puts nearly two years between seasons. Season 29 wrapped with a three-hour finale on Monday, March 24, 2025, when lead Grant watched his final dates with Jesse Palmer in front of a studio audience, according to ABC's listing for that episode. That finale aired on a Monday, while season 30 opens on a Sunday.
Who Sam Hartman is
Hartman is 27 and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. He wears No. 15 for Washington, where the team's roster lists him at 6-foot-1 and 209 pounds, with one season of NFL experience.
From Wake Forest to Notre Dame
Before the NFL, he played college football at Wake Forest and then Notre Dame. ABC credits him with Atlantic Coast Conference records, including the most career touchdown passes and the most 300-yard passing games. He also appeared in "QB1: Beyond the Lights," and ABC calls him a fan favorite from that documentary series.
The network's release leans hard into football. It calls him "ready to find his forever teammate" and promises he will bring his on-field leadership to the rose ceremonies.
What ABC has not said
Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, part of the Warner Bros. Television Group, produces the series, and Scott Teti, Jason Ehrlich and Andy Frank are listed as its executive producers.
The announcement did not say how many women will be in the cast, where the season was filmed or how production fit around an NFL season. It also gave no schedule beyond the premiere night and did not mention Jesse Palmer, who appeared with Grant in that season 29 finale.
