Grammy Night lifts the numbers
Dancing With the Stars’ Nov. 10 episode leaned into Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated songs, with live performances from Sheryl Crow, Maren Morris, Brandy and Monica. The pairing produced the show’s strongest preliminary ratings of the season.
The episode averaged 7.33 million viewers on ABC and Disney+ in Nielsen same-day preliminary ratings, before the company’s big data component is included. Since the series typically adds viewers when streaming and device data are folded in, the final number is likely to pass the season’s previous high of 7.36 million viewers from the Oct. 20 show.
Among adults 18-49, the key ad-sales demographic, Tuesday’s broadcast already ranks as a season best: a 1.58 rating, equal to about 2.15 million viewers in that age range. The prior high was a 1.56 rating on Oct. 13, and that earlier mark already included big data.
The season-over-season story
Grammy Night is not a one-off bounce. Every week this season has rated higher than the same week a year ago, continuing the ratings momentum the show found in 2025. Through this week, the series is averaging about 6.89 million same-day viewers and a 1.48 rating among adults 18-49. At the same point last season, the averages were 6.1 million viewers and a 1.23 demo rating. A full week of cross-platform viewing adds more than a million viewers to each episode’s total.
- Episode: 7.33M preliminary viewers on ABC and Disney+.
- Demo: 1.58 A18-49 rating, roughly 2.15M viewers.
- Season: 6.89M same-day average vs 6.1M a year ago.
Why it matters for media planners
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the takeaway is not that one show is having a good week. It is that a regular unscripted franchise can still create appointment viewing when an episode is anchored to a known cultural moment and live performances. The Grammy theme gave ABC and Disney+ a clear promotional hook, broadened musical appeal and a reason to watch live rather than later.
Same-day viewing still matters for advertisers who want live reach and lower ad-skipping. A 1.58 rating among adults 18-49 may look modest, but in a fragmented market it is enough to make a broadcast competition one of the more efficient reach vehicles on a Tuesday night. Media buyers use these figures directly when allocating scatter budgets.
The numbers also show why same-day ratings are best read as a floor, not a ceiling. Preliminary Nielsen data undercounts the episode because it excludes big data. Brands buying against this audience should expect final delivery to revise upward.
What to watch next
Tuesday’s episode ended with a surprise elimination and the field narrowed to six couples. The semifinal round airs Nov. 17, giving the show another chance to extend its season-long streak of year-over-year growth.
For the business, this is a case study in turning a regular format into an event, not a sign that broadcast ratings have returned to their peak. The gains are steady, but they are gains from a smaller base. Planners should continue to separate same-day linear-plus-streaming reach from full cross-platform totals.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
