‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18 Episode 13 Release Date and Air Time

‘American Ninja Warrior’ fans are gearing up for an intense night as the competition heads toward its thrilling finale. Season 18’s National Finals have narrowed the field to the athletes who are eyeing the $250,000 grand prize.

With just one episode remaining after this, episode 13 is crucial in distinguishing the true contenders from the pretenders on the path to Mount Midoriyama’s successor.

Episode 13, titled “National Finals 3,” will air on Monday, August 24, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, continuing ‘American Ninja Warrior’ Season 18’s tradition of Monday night premieres. This episode marks the third part of the National Finals series, following “National Finals 1” and “National Finals 2,” which aired earlier in August as the competition narrowed down.

This season has primarily maintained its 8 p.m. ET Monday slot, although NBC moved a couple of earlier episodes to that time before reverting to the usual 9 p.m. schedule. Season 18 consists of 13 episodes, placing this installment just one week ahead of the finale, which is set for August 31.

Episode 13 will air live on NBC before being available for streaming the following day on Peacock, following the same pattern that has been in place all season. Viewers without cable can also catch the show through live TV streaming services that include NBC in their local offerings.

Previous seasons of the competition series are available on ANW’s dedicated FAST channel on platforms like Roku, allowing newcomers to catch up on the show’s history before diving into the current finals. For those without cable, Peacock remains the most reliable option for next-day viewing without missing any action.

‘American Ninja Warrior’ has consistently followed this same-night and next-day streaming structure since Season 18 began in June, making it easier for fans balancing work schedules or summer travel to stay updated. This predictability has become a key part of the show’s charm during its 18th season on NBC.

The stakes are incredibly high at this point in the National Finals, as every remaining ninja has already survived multiple rounds of head-to-head racing to reach this stage. According to TV Insider, the ninjas who achieve the fastest times in this episode’s races will advance to next week’s finale, where the $250,000 grand prize is at stake.

Host Akbar Gbajabiamila discussed with the outlet what sets this round apart from previous ones, emphasizing that it’s as much a test of composure as it is of speed. “At this point, everybody left has earned their spot, and that’s what makes this round so intense,” Gbajabiamila told TV Insider, noting that athletes who excel under pressure often surprise everyone when the stakes are highest.

The obstacles are also being highlighted this week, with Gbajabiamila pointing out two in particular that serve as true tests of trust and technique. He described Catch and Release and the Hourglass Drop, which involves dropping from a bridge onto a trampoline before grabbing the next section, as “real game changers” for even the most seasoned ninjas competing this season.

Season 18 has embraced its new all-racing National Finals format this year, a change that has kept the results genuinely unpredictable from week to week. With hosts Matt Iseman, Gbajabiamila, and sideline reporter Zuri Hall covering the action, this round is expected to provide one of the clearest previews yet of who has a real shot at the title as the season finale approaches.

This season introduced a notably different structure compared to previous years, replacing the traditional cross-country qualifying tour with a Las Vegas-based format centered around West, Central, and East regional competitions. The winners from these regions then advanced to the Tripleheader, a supersized three-lane race course where competitors face off against each other rather than running solo.

This format change has directly influenced the current National Finals stretch, where the field has been gradually narrowed through a series of head-to-head races instead of the multi-stage tower climb that fans associate with earlier seasons. Additionally, this year saw the introduction of a Women’s Bonus Tournament, offering four top female competitors a chance at a separate $50,000 prize and the title of 2026 Women’s Champion.

For longtime viewers, the shift from the Mount Midoriyama-style obstacle stacking to a pure racing format has sparked debate among fans. Whether this discussion cools down or intensifies may depend significantly on how dramatic the upcoming round of racing turns out to be.

With the finale just one week away, episode 13 is poised to be the final real test before someone claims the title of American Ninja Warrior. Which ninjas do you believe have what it takes to survive National Finals round three and secure their spot in next week’s championship race?