ABC’s Dancing With the Stars returned for its 35th season with the strongest premiere numbers in years, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings. The Tuesday telecast drew 6.67 million viewers — a 24 percent increase over the 2025 season opener and a step above the show’s 6.5 million full-season average.
The last time a season premiere delivered a bigger total audience was season 29 in September 2020. The last time a premiere did better in adults 18-49 was back in September 2017. That context matters: this was not a modest bounce off a weak comparison.
The numbers that drive ad decisions
- Total viewers: 6.67 million, up 24 percent year over year.
- Adults 18-49: 1.48 rating, up 40 percent and above every episode last season except the finale.
- Women 18-34: 2.53 rating, the highest season-opener mark since 2013.
For media planners, the 18-49 gain is the headline. Broadcast unscripted shows rarely grow that demo by double digits in season 35. The women 18-34 figure is also notable because it gives advertisers a concentrated linear option for reaching younger female audiences, a group that has become harder to aggregate outside streaming and social video.
Why live competition still works
The format combines live performance, viewer voting and weekly elimination stakes. That structure creates same-day viewing behavior, which broadcasters can sell at a premium. When voting works reliably, it also generates second-screen engagement that reinforces the live audience. The Tuesday episode offered a reminder of the risk: the show’s website voting system glitched, forcing viewers to cast votes by text. The ratings didn’t suffer, but poor mechanics could erode participation over a long season.
What to watch next
- The Wednesday episode, featuring the eight female contestants, will show whether the premiere’s audience returns.
- Final Nielsen numbers may shift when big data measurement is included.
- The season’s true test is whether it can clear its full-season average, not just the opener.
For now, the data points in one direction: a legacy broadcast franchise just produced a growth story in a shrinking linear market.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
