Pinoy Big Brother: Connect was the ninth main and fifteenth season of Pinoy Big Brother which premiered on A2Z and Kapamilya Channel from December 6, 2020 to March 14, 2021. The show was also simulcast and digitally streamed via ABS-CBN's entertainment website, iWantTFC (on-demand streaming service) and Kapamilya Online Live in Facebook and YouTube; live feeds of the House were also shown on Kumu, an online streaming platform. With the partnership arrangement (later as content agreement) between ABS-CBN and TV5, the show aired on from March 8 until its finale on March 14.
Toni Gonzaga, Bianca Gonzalez, and Robi Domingo reprised their roles as hosts. Meanwhile, new digital hosts joined the show: Richard Juan was the host for the show's online updates; while Enchong Dee and Melai Cantiveros were the hosts for the show's online companion programs across various online platforms. Kim Chiu, Edward Barber, and Maymay Entrata were earlier reported to host online contents for the program (with Chiu and Entrata having joined the official launch and the Big Night respectively, while Barber only appeared on the Big Night, acting for the Comedy sketch as one of the housemates), but were never seen doing their hosting stints in the succeeding events of the show; Dee and Cantiveros, on the other hand, were occasionally seen to host the afternoon online companion show.
This was the first season where the show was not being aired on ABS-CBN after the said network was ordered by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to cease and desist its free-to-air television and radio broadcast operations on May 5, 2020, following the lapse of its congressional franchise. The network also failed to secure a renewal of its congressional franchise after its renewal bid was rejected by the House of Representatives on July 10, 2020.
Also before the show's grand finale, this was the first time and season that to be aired on TV5 due to ABS-CBN's legislative franchise renewal issue and to the partnership agreement of the two networks. Spanned beginning March 8 until March 13 (which is the finale week), and March 14, 2021 (which is the Big Night).
This was the fifth consecutive time that both civilian adults and teenagers participated in one season, and the first time since the All In season to house them together as just one batch. Among all regular and special seasons, this season was the season with the shortest number of days (99) of which a group of housemates representing an entire season have stayed in the House.
The show concluded on March 14, 2021, with Liofer Pinatacan declared as the Big Winner.
Development
With the scrapping of the television broadcast operations of ABS-CBN by the NTC on May 5, 2020, the continuity of the local Big Brother franchise was left uncertain. This is because of the House of Representatives denied ABS-CBN franchise. No news or information were provided by the network nor by the production team behind the show of the fate of the said franchise. However, on October 16, 2020, Pinoy Big Brother hinted an announcement for a possible return of the show. On the 18th of October in 2020, on ASAP Natin 'To!, it was officially announced that a new season would air as Pinoy Big Brother: Connect. No physical auditions will be held; instead all auditions will be done online.
ABS-CBN's Television Production Head Unit and the Head Director of the Pinoy Big Brother franchise, Direk Lauren Diyogi, revealed in an interview of an episode of TV Patrol that Pinoy Big Brother: Connect would push through in November 2020, although the exact date was not mentioned. However, it was later confirmed that Pinoy Big Brother: Connect began on December 6, 2020. Dyogi also revealed that the ninth season to take place at the current situation of the network and of the country was unplanned, and that it had only prospered after the show had partnered with Kumu.
The number of housemates tooked part in this season was initially lowered to 12, making this season with the fewest housemates in Pinoy Big Brother history, surpassing the first regular season of Pinoy Big Brother, the season that had only 13 housemates. However, it was later confirmed via online PBB: KUMUlitan show with Robi Domingo and Lie Reposposa that 18 aspiring housemates will be taking part this season.