Netflix seems to have quietly canceled a fan favorite original show

Don’t look now, but it seems Netflix might have just canceled one of its most popular reality shows!

Netflix has been known to keep fans in the dark on the status of some of its unscripted programs, with new seasons randomly dropping without much notice. This makes it hard to know when a show has been officially canceled or is simply taking a longer-than-expected hiatus. However, the evidence is starting to pile up that Netflix has canceled The Circle after seven seasons. 

Following its fifth season, Netflix renewed The Circle for two additional seasons in November 2023. This paved the way for season 6 to be released in April 2024 and season 7 to drop in September of that same year. However, we’re closing in on a year removed from season 7’s release, and there has been absolutely from Netflix or any reputable source announcing The Circle’s renewal. 

The lack of renewal news was cause for concern on its own, but then came Netflix’s massive unscripted highlight announcement.

On July 17, Netflix dropped a new teaser confirming the returns of several hit shows in 2025, as well as teasing several new and returning reality shows for 2026. The social media teaser confirmed new seasons of Perfect Match, Love is Blind UK, Love is Blind season 9, Selling Sunset, Selling the OC, Owning Manhattan, and Squid Game: The Challenge are all on their way in 2025, while also revealing that new seasons of Love on the Spectrum, The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On, Outlast, Million Dollar Secret, and Temptation Island are coming in 2026. 

It’s not uncommon for Netflix to highlight only a select number of shows with announcements such as this, so initially, there wasn’t too much concern. Then Netflix went and released an expanded version of the social teaser via a lengthy highlights article on Tudum. 

The Tudum reality slate article not only shared additional information about the many titles mentioned in the aforementioned social media post, but also confirmed over a dozen additional new and returning titles set to release in 2025 and 2026. This list included Let’s Marry Harry, Simon Cowell: The Next Act, Age of Attraction, Love Con Revenge, Members Only: Palm Beach, Calabasas Confidential, Hitmakers, Physical 100: USA, Next Gen Chef, Is It Cake? Halloween, What’s In The Box, The Golden Ticket, Dinner Time Live With David Chang, King of Collectibles: The Golden Touch, Is It Cake? Holiday, and Queer Eye. 

Glaringly missing from the list was The Circle. There was not a single mention of the beloved reality series on Netflix’s reality TV programming highlights, which seems to strongly suggest Netflix has quietly canceled the show, with no additional seasons of The Circle in the works at this time. 

If this is indeed the case, it’s a true shame as The Circle helped to usher in the current wave of Netflix competition shows as one of the platform’s first breakout competition series. Every season has been enjoyed by fans, and the success of the show paved the way for hits such as Perfect Match, which has historically featured a handful of contestants from The Circle – as have other Netflix shows. 

The Circle is a show that could easily continue for many seasons to come, and it’s a perfect launching pad for Netflix to continue to find personalities to feature in other Netflix shows. It’s important to stress that no official statement has been made from Netflix regarding the show’s future. However, with the lack of a renewal and The Circle being left out of the reality TV highlights slate, it’s looking like the Circle Chat has closed, possibly for good.

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