The hit ABC competition series breaks a 34-year record as “Wicked Night” draws its biggest audience yet and continues an unprecedented five-week ratings climb.
Dancing With the Stars continues to cast its spell over audiences, hitting an unprecedented milestone with its “Wicked Night” episode.
The musical-themed installment, inspired by Broadway’s Wicked, drew 6.63 million total viewers, according to Nielsen’s Live+Same Day data, marking an 11% jump from the prior week’s “Dedication Night.”
This not only represents Season 34’s largest audience to date, but also cements a remarkable streak of five consecutive weeks of viewership growth — something that hasn’t been seen on fall television in over three decades.
According to Deadline, DWTS is now the first fall series in at least 34 years — dating back to the start of Nielsen’s electronic measurement system in 1991 — to increase its same-day audience for five straight weeks following its season premiere.
The episode also delivered a 1.38 rating among adults 18–49, another season best, further solidifying the show’s dominant position in the competitive fall TV lineup.
The momentum isn’t limited to viewership alone. Dancing With the Stars continues to shatter engagement records, with Disney reporting that 53.1 million votes were cast during the two-hour broadcast — a 6% rise from the week before. That brings the total number of votes this season to over 100 million, a testament to the series’ enduring popularity and its growing online fanbase.
Co-host Julianne Hough celebrated the record live on air, thanking fans for their “unbelievable energy and love” throughout the season.
Historically, the show has enjoyed strong ratings, but this new streak surpasses any previous record. Prior to Wicked Night, “Dedication Night” had already set a then-season high with nearly 6 million viewers (5.98M), marking four weeks of continuous growth — a rarity for any long-running series, let alone one in its 34th season.
Industry analysts note that no other fall network program has shown this level of consistent audience expansion in the same-day ratings era, underscoring DWTS’s cultural staying power and multi-generational appeal.
Next week, the ballroom transforms once again for “Halloween Night,” where the nine remaining couples will compete in spooky, high-energy routines.
The fan-favorite “Dance Monster-thon” marathon will return, alongside two-time Mirrorball champion Cheryl Burke, who joins as a special guest judge for the fright-filled evening.
