American Ninja Warrior returns to NBC on June 12 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT for a two-hour premiere. You can watch American Ninja Warrior Season 9 when it returns on NBC or online via NBC apps as well as the NBC live website. A spin off of the Japanese series Sasuke, American Ninja Warrior was an instant success. Season 9 promises to bring plenty of excitement for sports fans who follow the contestants as they attempt to prove they are the toughest, fastest, and strongest. Previews of Season 9 give us a look at the obstacle course and it's possible this might be the most difficult course in American Ninja Warrior history.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila & Matt Iseman return as hosts and Kristine Leahy is the sideline reporter who interviews contestants after they finish their turn in the course. The American Ninja Warrior obstacle course is the heart and soul of the entire competition. Fans quickly pick their favorite contestants and root for them as they make their ways from one part of the course to the next. Sometimes early fan favorites fail at the earliest part of the course and others surprise everyone by making it clear to the end. The courses increase in difficulty and very few finish the entire course.

Contestants begin competing in qualifying rounds and those who finish with the best scores move on to the finals. The finals take place in Las Vegas where the finalists compete in an obstacle course that is similar to the Sasuke course in Japan. The American Ninja Warrior winner wins $1 million.

American Ninja Warrior is more than a competition that showcases strength, but also determination, focus, and hard work. There is no question that the American Ninja Warrior obstacles are extremely difficult to tackle and the contestants train intensively just for the chance to compete in the qualification rounds. Tonight, the qualification rounds take place in Los Angeles. Other cities where American Ninja Warrior will hold qualifying rounds include San Antonio, Denver, Cleveland, Daytona Beach, and Kansas City.

USA Today writer Carly Mallenbaum not only interviewed American Ninja Warrior executive producer Arthur Smith but also tried the new obstacle course. After failing to make it past the Floating Step, Scott assured Mallenbaum that falling off the obstacle was typical. Here is the exchange as shared via USA Today, followed by more information regarding the obstacle course.

"Every obstacle has its share of casualties, even the one that you fell on.

"Of course, most ninjas pass through the first phase and make it to harder challenges, like the new 'Battering Ram.' That obstacle — inspired by a fan— requires athletes to grab onto a foam tube, shimmy across a horizontal pipe, and transition onto another sliding foam tube. It's one of about two dozen new obstacles that help make the new courses the most challenging yet on the show, which premiered in 2009 and is based on a Japanese format."

The new obstacles have drawn a lot of attention via social media networks and have sparked even greater interest in tonight's premiere.Another aspect of American Ninja Warrior that has drawn praise from fans and the public is women's role in the competiton. More women are competing in American Ninja Warrior each season and some women have performed phenomenally in the competition. Two women who have gained notoriety for their amazing performances in American Ninja Warrior's obstacle courses include Kacy Catanzaro and Jessie Graff.

Are you going to watch American Ninja Warrior's premiere tonight? Do you hope to see more women compete in American Ninja Warrior Season 9? Feel free to leave your comments and opinions at the bottom of this article.

[Featured Image by NBCUniversal (used with permission)]