Ratings: ‘Dancing with the Stars’ premiere low; ‘MasterChef’ finale solid

Remember those days when “Dancing with the Stars” was getting more than 20 million viewers? Well, that was a long time ago in a ballroom galaxy far, far away.

The show aired its premiere on Monday, and while its numbers (13.5 million viewers and a 2.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic) were solid, there are also some other things that have to be considered here. For one, this will likely be adjusted down when the final numbers come into play a little later in the evening due to NFL preemptions in the Indianapolis area. Also, the numbers will drop next week when there are other programming options.

The biggest competition that the ballroom competition had last night was none other than the finale for “MasterChef” season 5, which scored a consistent 2.0 rating. This show really could air every summer for the next few years, and the ratings would probably stay the same. That is how reliable performer this show has become for Fox.

We will have to see ultimately where the direction of this season leads, but going into it, the biggest criticism that was out there for the show was mostly that there was not a huge lineup of stars available to ABC. Maybe it was a budget thing, but there are very few out there who likely know every single person who is a part of the competition this season. Typically, we at least feel like the majority of Americans know a good 80% of the cast going in. We’re not quite so sure in this case.

What do you think about the premiere ratings, and do you feel like they are going to plummet, or actually improve moving forward this season? Share below, and dance over here to get some further TV scoop via our official newsletter. We will have the first results coming up tonight.

Photo: ABC