Dancing with the Stars pairs celebrities with professional dancers for judged, viewer-voted ballroom competition. Season 35 premiered on ABC on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, with a two-night premiere continuing September 16, simulcast on Disney+. Alfonso Ribeiro and Derek Hough co-host.
Night one drew 6.67 million total viewers and a 1.48 rating in adults 18-49 (Nielsen Live+Same Day) — the show’s biggest premiere audience in six years, up 24% in viewers and 40% in the demo from the Season 34 premiere. The 1.48 is the show’s best 18-49 premiere since 2017 and was the top entertainment telecast in the demo since the Oscars. Night two added 6.44 million viewers and a 1.32.
In CBS’s premiere week (October 4–10), it was one of only two non-CBS shows in the broadcast Top 10 — the other was Chicago Med. No Season 36 announcement had been made as of October 22, 2026.
The Facts
Network: ABC · Tuesdays, 8 p.m. ET/PT (simulcast on Disney+)
Season: Season 35 · premiered September 15, 2026
Hosts: Alfonso Ribeiro and Derek Hough
The number: 6.67 million viewers and a 1.48 in adults 18-49, premiere night (Nielsen Live+Same Day)
Status: Season 36 not yet announced
Sources: Nielsen Live+Same Day (Big Data + Panel) premiere figures published by CBS (Paramount Press Express, October 15, 2026), ABC and NBC for the fall 2026 premieres; TheWrap and TVLine ratings roundups. Read October 22, 2026. Photo credit on the image above.
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