Dancing with the Stars opened its 35th season with a dual-platform premiere that gave ABC and Disney+ the franchise’s strongest launch in years. Night one of the two-part event pulled 6.67 million viewers across both platforms on Tuesday, up 24% from last season’s opener and the biggest premiere audience since Season 29 in 2020, according to Nielsen live+same day data reported by TheWrap.
The opening-night scoreboard
The adults 18-49 rating rose to 1.48, a 40% jump from the prior season debut. That is the show’s best premiere performance in the key advertising demo in nine years and the top entertainment telecast in the demo since the 2026 Oscars. The network also highlighted a 2.53 rating among women 18-34, the best season premiere in that segment in 13 years.
- Total viewers: 6.67 million across ABC and Disney+, up 24%
- Adults 18-49: 1.48 rating, up 40% year over year
- Women 18-34: 2.53 rating, best premiere since 2013
- ABC Tuesday night: 5.34 million average viewers and a 1.06 in 18-49
Why the younger-female number stands out
For media buyers, the women 18-34 rating is the most consequential line in the release. A 2.53 in that cohort is difficult to generate with a legacy unscripted format, and it strengthens the case that the Disney+ simulcast is adding younger viewers rather than simply splitting the audience. When broadcast and streaming delivery are combined in this way, the program becomes a clearer test of total cross-platform reach.
The demo surge also gave ABC a decisive Tuesday. The network averaged 5.34 million total viewers and a 1.06 in adults 18-49, finishing 38% ahead of second-place NBC in total viewers and 221% ahead in the demo.
The two-night strategy
The premiere is being treated as an event, with Tuesday showcasing male celebrities — including Paralympian Ezra Frech — and Wednesday shifting to a women’s lineup that includes The Rookie star Jenna Dewan, Julia Stiles and Ciara Miller. Next week, the competition returns to its regular Tuesday slot on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
That distribution pattern matters. The ABC-Disney+ simulcast preserves live reach and same-day measurement, while the Hulu next-day window provides a catch-up option for streaming-only viewers. The risk is that event-driven sampling fades once the two-night opener ends.
What to watch next
The real test is retention. If the show can hold a meaningful portion of the 18-49 and women 18-34 gains in its regular Tuesday slot, ABC will have a stronger unscripted story for advertisers. If the audience normalizes sharply, this premiere will look more like a well-promoted launch than a durable shift in the format’s trajectory.
For the broader entertainment business, the result is another reminder that appointment viewing still works when an established franchise is available wherever the audience chooses to watch. It also shows how a streaming simulcast can support a linear ad-sales story instead of working against it.
Source: TheWrap
