Time for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ to Look in the Mirror(ball) Over Ratings Decline

ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” waved goodbye to hosts Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews on Monday. That’s nothing compared to the number of viewers “DWTS” has bid farewell to over its remarkable run of 28 seasons — and counting. When the dancing competition premiered in the summer of 2005, it averaged a massive 5.1 rating in the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 demographic and 16.799 million total viewers, according to Live + 7 Day Nielsen data. In comparison, last fall’s Season 28 averaged a 1.1 rating with 7.998 million total viewers. Fans didn’t know it at the time, but that cycle was the final one hosted by Bergeron and Andrews. “Just informed [‘Dancing With the Stars’] will be continuing without me,” Bergeron tweeted on Monday. “It’s been an incredible 15 year run and the most unexpected gift of my career. I’m grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. That said, now what am I supposed to do with all of these glitter masks?” “Tom Bergeron will forever be part of the Dancing with the Stars family,” ABC and BBC Studios said afterward in a joint statement. “As we embark on a new creative direction, he departs the show with our sincerest thanks and gratitude for his trademark wit and charm that helped make this show a success. Erin will also not be returning, and we appreciate all that she brought to the ballroom. Fans have been rooting for her since she originally competed as a contestant back in 2010, and her signature sense of humor has become a hallmark of the show.” Bergeron had been with the show since it premiered, while Andrews, a former “Star,” came in as his co-host in Season 18. With both of them now out and no new replacement hosts named yet, it’s hard to say what this “new creative direction” will be — or if it will help turn around the show’s downward direction in Nielsen numbers. The “Dancing With the Stars” heyday, from a ratings standpoint, came way back in the third season, when the series averaged a whopping 5.4 rating among adults 18-49. From there, the series dipped to a 5.0 rating the following season but rose to a 5.2 for Season 5, which happened to be the show’s most-watched year, averaging a massive 20.604 million total viewers. It was the second — and final — time the series averaged more than 20 million viewers per week. To be clear, we’re not suggesting “Dancing With the Stars” should be posting the same numbers it did a decade ago — when streaming platforms didn’t distract from television — but the Mirrorball Trophy could use a little polish. Once a phenomenon, “DWTS” is barely a Top 40 broadcast series these days in terms of total viewers. In the demo, “Dancing” doesn’t waltz into the Top 60. Below, you’ll find the average rating and total-viewer tally for each season of “Dancing With the Stars.” The numbers include all original episodes and specials that aired during that cycle and are inclusive of one week of DVR viewing. Season 1 (Summer 2005): 5.1 rating/16.799 million total viewers Season 2: 5.0 rating/18.239 million total viewers Season 3: 5.4 rating/20.044 million total viewers Season 4: 5.0 rating/18.542 million total viewers Season 5: 5.2 rating/20.604 million total viewers Season 6: 4.5 rating/18.513 million total viewers Season 7: 4.2 rating/18.102 million total viewers Season 8: 4.5 rating/18.814 million total viewers Season 9: 3.8 rating/17.370 million total viewers Season 10: 4.4 rating/19.116 million total viewers Season 11: 4.3 rating/20.114 million total viewers Season 12: 4.3 rating/19.995 million total viewers Season 13: 3.4 rating/17.171 million total viewers Season 14: 3.1 rating/16.826 million total viewers Season 15: 2.5 rating/14.123 million total viewers Season 16: 2.6 rating/14.698 million total viewers Season 17: 2.6 rating/15.139 million total viewers Season 18: 2.6 rating/15.573 million total viewers Season 19: 2.5 rating/14.607 million total viewers Season 20: 2.4 rating/14.405 million total viewers Season 21: 2.2 rating/13.309 million total viewers Season 22: 2.1 rating/13.345 million total viewers Season 23: 2.0 rating/12.163 million total viewers Season 24: 2.0 rating/12.157 million total viewers Season 25: 1.7 rating/11.017 million total viewers Season 26: 1.3 rating/9.434 million total viewers Season 27: 1.2 rating/8.513 million total viewers Season 28: 1.1 rating/7.998 million total viewers On Tuesday, the “GMA” Twitter handle teased “an exclusive announcement about the new season” on Wednesday’s “Good Morning America” episode. We expect to find out the reality show’s “new creative direction” — and new host(s) — then.

TOMORROW ON @GMA: @DancingABC is back! And we'll have an exclusive announcement about the new season ONLY on GMA! #DancingOnGMA pic.twitter.com/2tCN3qCmao

— Good Morning America (@GMA) July 14, 2020