During its “Wicked Night” episode on October 21, 2025, Dancing with the Stars drew 6.63 million viewers and a 1.38 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This made it the highest same-day audience for the show since the 2020-21 season. This performance marks the fifth week in a row that viewership has gone up since the Season 34 premiere on September 16. Notably, this is something that hasn’t happened in fall TV programming in over 34 years. Nielsen started measuring audiences electronically in 1991.
Unprecedented Momentum in Fall TV
The show has become the first fall series in decades to grow its audience for five weeks in a row after its premiere. This is unusual for fall shows, which usually lose viewers. The episode that aired on October 21 had 11% more viewers than the previous week’s “Dedication Night,” which had 5.98 million viewers. This upward trend shows that people are getting more involved with the show. It had more viewers than NBC’s NBA season opener, even though the sports broadcast had a slight edge in the 18-49 age group with a 1.39 rating.
Fans Are More Engaged Than Ever
Dancing with the Stars has set new records for how many people watch the show. During the two-hour “Wicked Night” broadcast, a record 53.1 million votes were cast. This was 6% more than the week before and the most votes ever for the show. Julianne Hough, the host, said during the live show that the total number of votes has now passed 100 million. This shows how close the show is to its fans. The show also did very well on social media, with 3.2 million total interactions. This is 13% more than its season average, making it the most social broadcast on both network and cable TV.
Strong Lead-Out and Competitive Landscape
ABC’s strategic programming is still working. High Potential, the show that comes after DWTS, is also getting a lot of viewers. The October 7 episode of High Potential had 12.5 million viewers and a 2.31 rating in the 18-49 age group. This includes viewers who watched it on more than one platform. Notably, 35% of its viewers came from streaming services. This synergy between DWTS and its lead-out makes ABC’s Tuesday night lineup stronger, making it a major player in primetime television.
Season 34 Ratings Path
The Season 34 premiere on September 16 had 5.4 million viewers and a 1.06 rating in the 18-49 age group. This was a 45% increase in the key demographic compared to the 2024 season. Since then, each episode has built on this momentum, leading to the highest ratings of the season. In today’s TV world, where keeping viewers is getting harder and harder, this steady growth is a rare accomplishment.
Looking Ahead: Halloween Night and After
On October 28, “Halloween Night,” Dancing with the Stars is back with spooky makeovers, scary dance routines, and the return of the “Dance Monster-thon” with two-time Mirrorball champion Cheryl Burke as a guest judge. The show is set up for a strong finish to the season, with ratings and engagement at multi-year highs. This could affect decisions about whether or not to renew the show for a 35th season, which has not yet been officially confirmed.
