Social Media Takes Center Stage on Dancing with the Stars

DWTS sees a massive increase in viewership this year and has social media to thank.

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While Joey Graziadei and Jenna Johnson might have taken home the Len Goodman Mirrorball trophy, the true shining stars of the 33rd annual season of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) were the passionate and engaged social media fandom. 

The DWTS finale brought in 6.36 million viewers, which is the highest number of viewers ABC has seen since the 2020 finale, according to Nielsen. This is in major part due not only to the popularity and cultural relevance of the celebrities but also the pros' active roles on social media—ultimately showing the power social media influence has to get the masses interested in dance.

“It kind of pivoted the show in this whole new audience, new direction, new people that probably didn’t even care one second about the show,” Lindsay Arnold, a former DWTS pro and sister of current pro Rylee Arnold, said in an interview with Joe Vulpis. “They're watching, they’re listening, they’re paying attention and that was 100% because of Riley's influence last season.”

In years past, the celebrities brought in for DWTS were often more niche or only popular to smaller groups of audience members. The choice of not only culturally relevant and well-liked celebrities but also ones with an active social media presence has more audience members not typically interested in dance. 

The star’s roster included popular Olympians Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik, who both went viral on social media during the 2024 Paris games. They continued to make content through the season which led to fan engagement.

“They were so on top of their social media,” said Tate Whitney, a DWTS skeptic-turned-megafan due to the inclusion of her favorite athlete, Maher. “It made me as an audience member feel very connected to the show, and it made the show feel more involved with the audience.”

While celebrities have always brought in viewers due to their popularity in entertainment and media, the pros took to TikTok and Instagram this year to help lead their partners to success.

Between Rylee Arnold’s TikToks and Erza Sosa’s Instagram reels, the pros showed a behind-the-scenes look at the show that not only made their partnerships look appealing to the masses but humanized them in a way the show had been unable to do in years past.

“Even if pros are dancers they're not always dancing on it,” Sophie Hutchinson, a dance major at Marymount Manhattan College, said. “So people who aren't dancers can relate to that type of social media.” 

The impact of social media is also helping to secure the longevity of the show with many first-time viewers of DWTS already looking forward to another entertaining season of ballroom dance.  

“I've always thought it was a cheesy concept, I guess,” Whitney said. “It's actually so good, and it's so fun watching ballroom dance.”