Season Premiere of DANCING WITH THE STARS Delivers Monday Night Win for ABC

By: Caryn Robbins Sep. 19, 2017

Featuring the 25th season premiere of "DWTS" and "To Tell the Truth," ABC won Monday night in Total Viewers (9.0 million) and Adults 18-49 (1.4/5), outdelivering NBC with the finales of "American Ninja Warrior" and "Midnight, Texas" (4.9 million and 1.3/5). ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" opened as Monday's No. 1 TV series in Total Viewers (10.8 million) and all key Adult demos: AD18-34 (1.2/6), AD18-49 (1.7/6) and AD25-54 (2.4/7).

Please note: ABC's Monday lineup was preempted for local NFL coverage in Detroit (1.616% of the U.S.), while "To Tell the Truth" was also preempted in Boston (3.241% U.S. combined).

"Dancing with the Stars" (8:00-10:00 p.m. - 10.8 million and 1.7/6 in AD18-49):
From 8:00-10:00 p.m., ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" season premiere defeated NBC's "American Ninja Warrior" season finale in the 2-hour time period by 4.9 million viewers (10.8 million vs. 5.9 million) and 13% in Adults 18-49 (1.7/6 vs. 1.5/6). Also in the 2-hour slot, "Dancing" towered over Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance" (2.2 million and 0.6/2).

Based on TV Playback for last season in Adults 18-49, "DWTS" gained +0.3 rating points from Live + Same Day to Live + 3 Day and +0.4 rating points in the Live + 7 Day averages.

"To Tell the Truth" (10:00-11:00 p.m. - 5.2 million and 0.9/3 in AD18-49): At 10:00 p.m., ABC's "To Tell the Truth" won the hour in Adults 18-49 over NBC's finale of "Midnight, Texas" (0.9/3 vs. 0.8/3). The ABC gamer was also the most watched show overall in the slot (5.2 million). "To Tell the Truth" surged week to week by 2.3 million viewers (5.2 million vs. 2.9 million) and by 50% in Adults 18-49 (0.9/3 vs. 0.6/2), hitting a season high in viewers.

Projections Rationale:
Lifts vs. L+SD are based on the 2016-17 season for premiere telecast or an average for originals (excluding the premiere).
Returning shows: Profile based on same show (either premiere or averages for originals).
New Series: Based on similar series.

Source: The Nielsen Company, Fast Affiliate Live + Same Day Ratings, 9/18/17.

Photo credit: ABC/ Eric McCandless