Dancing with the Stars premiered their 36th season this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. After last year’s massive success and popularity, the show is capitalizing on that by creating an even bigger cast and a two night premiere.
The cast is full of millennial icons like Taylor Hansen, Tatiana Ali and Harry Shum (I say millennial for him because of Glee which I was obsessed with!) and many more (practically the entire cast!)
As a fan of the show for the past ten years! I have seen the show ebb and flow in popularity but one thing always remained, dance was the most important part.
Professionals teaching ballroom dance skills to amateur dancers, judges judging based on the rules of the dance. This feels like you are learning and being entertained at the same time.
I am sure, professional ballroom dancers all line up for a spot on this show, and the past seasons seemed to show us why: it was a respectful way to dance and make money.
Advertise on Streaming:
A show families watch together is one household with several sets of eyes on it, which changes how often your spot should show up. Our guide to advertising on streaming platforms covers household frequency, including the 4 to 8 impressions per household per week it points to, and how to target past basic demographics.
Audience Demographics for CTV Ads (Who is loving)
- Women 18–49
- Families & multi-generational households
- Social-media-heavy viewers
- Lifestyle & entertainment consumers
Typical Advertisements (What is currently being seen during)
- Beauty & skincare
- Fashion & retail
- Automotive
- Food & beverages
- Financial & lifestyle services
Suggestions for Advertisements (Who could be seen)
- Shoe brands — “Bring home the Mirrorball… even if your dance skills are questionable.”
- Beauty brands — “Because your face deserves a perfect 10, even if your foxtrot doesn’t.”
- Coffee brands — “Fuel your fantasy of becoming the next DWTS champion.”
- Car brands — “A smoother ride than your attempt at the Paso Doble.”
- Retailers — “Outfit yourself like a star—even if you’re dancing in the living room.”
Where to Stream:
- Disney Plus, Hulu
The past season, season 35 something changed. The popularity of the show blew up overnight it felt like and the audience grew younger.
This, from a show runner’s perspective, is a great thing. The ability to adapt to a changing world successfully is huge.
The addition of younger professional dancers and segments like viral hits or tik tok dances, did exactly what they hoped for, bringing in the younger viewer.
These viewers did also translate to votes, setting record numbers each week last year.
All of this is a good, positive thing. However, is it even about dancing anymore?
Sure, we are watching the dancer but to the normal person watching what they are voting on is how well they like, know and care about the person AND the professional dancer.
Voting is not rigged but it is as rigged as you can get it, playing the system of what is cool and what will tug on heart strings.
We have seen this plenty of times, when the lovable bad dancer is kept in week after week instead of some of the better dancers.
I am sure former professionals have voiced their opinions on the direction of the show. Especially the older ones, who saw the show change from dance focused to viral moments focused. (Maks, Cheryl, etc)
The fact is though that it works, and dancing is still happening. So, sure they are making things a little cheaper and a lot more audience focused but people are watching it.
The frustrating moments are some of the most viral so, I don’t see it stopping any time soon.
Beauty, retail, and automotive brands are already running against this one. If your buyers are women 18-49 watching with the family on Disney+ and Hulu, book a strategy call and we’ll map where your budget fits.
