Dancing With the Stars pulls 6.7 million viewers for best premiere in six years
Dancing With the Stars drew 6.7 million viewers to its Season 35 premiere, its strongest season opening in six years.
The ABC ballroom contest returned on 15 September 2026, with live coverage tracked by USA Today. The figure covers the first night back for the celebrity dance competition, now in its second decade on American broadcast television.
The result is a clear jump year on year. The Season 34 premiere drew 5.4 million viewers in 2025. This season's 6.7 million is 24% higher, as reported by Variety. That makes it the most watched opener since Season 29, which launched with 8.1 million viewers in 2020.
The growth was even sharper among younger viewers. The premiere scored a 1.48 rating in adults aged 18 to 49, the age bracket advertisers follow most closely when buying time on commercial TV. Last year's opener managed a 1.06 in the same measure.
That is a 40% improvement. It also makes this the best rated premiere in that age group since 2017, a nine-year high for the series.
The new celebrity cast was unveiled two weeks before launch. The line-up was revealed on Good Morning America on 2 September, the programme announced on Facebook. Pairings of stars and professional partners are fan favourites, and the early reveal gave viewers time to pick their early picks before the first live vote.
What makes this stand out is the direction of travel. Broadcast entertainment shows have shed live viewers for years as audiences moved to streaming. A 24% rise in total viewers and a 40% rise in the 18 to 49 rating runs the other way.
For fans, this means the ballroom starts the season with momentum. The opening night audience sets the base for weekly eliminations, judges' scores and viewer votes. The next test is whether that crowd stays through the season.
