DWTS ratings: Huge 47% increase marks streaming win for Season 35 premiere

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By:Dustin Judge
The "Dancing With the Stars" Season 34 finale cast and hosts, whose record season set a high bar for DWTS ratings

DWTS ratings are still climbing. ABC’s two Tuesday premieres grew significantly in delayed multiplatform viewing, according to Deadline, with both “Dancing With the Stars” and the crime drama “R.J. Decker” picking up big audiences across Hulu, Disney+ and digital platforms.

The numbers behind the DWTS ratings

  • “Dancing With the Stars”: The Season 35 premiere grew 47% over its initial Live+Same Day audience of 6.77 million, reaching 9.98 million over seven days across Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
  • Year over year: That total is up 17% from the Season 34 premiere, which drew 8.50 million over seven days.
  • “R.J. Decker”: The Season 2 premiere drew 9.61 million viewers across platforms in seven days, including Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and two ABC encores.
  • Streaming boost: It was the show’s best streaming performance since the second episode of Season 1, which aired March 10, 2026.
  • Pilot lift: The premiere also pushed the “R.J. Decker” pilot to its biggest streaming week in nearly five months.

What they mean

The long-term DWTS ratings trend is steady: “Dancing With the Stars” continues to build momentum. Deadline reports the show has grown every season since returning to ABC in 2023, in both same-day and seven-day multiplatform viewing totals. That’s despite tough comparisons with the highly rated Season 34 in 2025.

The Season 35 premiere’s 47% jump from its first-night broadcast to the seven-day figure shows how much of the show’s audience now arrives through streaming rather than live television.

For “R.J. Decker,” the numbers suggest its new “Dancing With the Stars” lead-in is paying off. The crime drama, which Deadline says was on the bubble for renewal after Season 1, is reaching viewers who may have skipped its first season last spring.

The bump in the pilot’s streaming numbers hints that some of those newcomers are going back to catch up on Season 1.

Context

Much of that DWTS ratings growth comes from ABC’s multiplatform strategy, which helps both shows. “Dancing With the Stars” airs live Tuesdays at 8 p.m., simulcasting on ABC and Disney+, and streams on Hulu the next day, giving viewers multiple windows to catch up.

“R.J. Decker,” starring Scott Speedman, follows the reality competition. The lead-in effect and the strong DWTS ratings show how broadcast television increasingly relies on delayed viewing across its owned platforms to reach its full audience.

What’s next

“Dancing With the Stars” will hold Super Bowl Night on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with couples dancing to iconic songs from past Super Bowl performances, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

The theme night is a nod to Super Bowl LXI, which ABC and ESPN will air Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027, giving the network another big promotional platform for its schedule.

Reporting from Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, TVLine and TV Insider contributed to this story.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.

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