DWTS Season 35 Hits 6.7M Viewers, Best Opener in 6 Years — SkimNews
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- Dancing With the Stars Season 35 premiere drew 6.7 million viewers on ABC Tuesday night.
- The viewership marks a 24% increase over the Season 34 premiere, which drew 5.4 million viewers in 2025.
- It's the franchise's best opener in six years, since Season 29 launched with 8.1 million viewers in 2020.
- In the adults 18-49 demo, the Dancing With the Stars premiere rating climbed 40% from 1.06 to 1.48 — its strongest premiere in that metric since 2017.
Why it matters: For ABC, the 40% jump in the 18-49 demo — from 1.06 to 1.48 — matters more than the 6.7M total viewer figure, since that demographic drives broadcast ad pricing. The best opener in six years (total viewers) and best-rated since 2017 (demo) signals a real audience rebound for a franchise that had been steadily losing cultural traction.
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