For a record-breaking 34th season Dancing with the Stars coming to the finale on Tuesday night, it'sclear tthat the show has officially blown away, cha-cha-cha, and is back on screens and in the hearts of more fans than ever before – thanks in part to interest from a new generation.
The ballroom dance competition celebrates its 20th anniversary.how he ensured that his ratings grew with each episode of this season and broke his record for the number of votes received multiple times. According to VarietyLast week's semi-final episode performed best among viewers aged 18-34 in a decade and received a record 55.9 million votes.
It also managed to simulcast Tuesday night on both ABC and Disney+ television, becoming a cooler talking point in a typically fragmented media landscape.
“Dancing withabout the Stars been a stalwart of reality TV for a while.” entertainment journalist Natalie Jarvie told CBC News. However, during the show, she said, there was a point when “the novelty of the show faded a little.”
The reasons for the renewed interest are simple, perhaps even obvious, but nonetheless effective: star-studded casting that includes internet celebrities with high viral potential, and a social strategy powered by TikTok.You are suitable for the generation that loves watching people dance — not to mention watching TV – on your phone.
Until 2022 Dancing with the Stars “Not really worried about keeping up with trends,” said New York Times reporter Shivani Gonzalez. In it article About last season, Gonzalez wrote that the show's “average age of viewers in 2022 was 63.5 years old.”
“This formula that they used worked perfectly for them,” she told CBC News.
WATCH | Charli D'Amelio Guest Performance on TikTok Night Season 34:
But as Gonzalez said markedThe show began development in 2022. First, there was a short-lived experiment that year where the show was only available to stream on Disney+. Dancing with the Stars returned to ABC the following year.
That same year, the series began attracting viral celebrities such as dancer and TikTok superstar Charli D'Amelio, who eventually won season 31.
Gonzalez described the decision to bring on D'Amelio as a win-win for both the show and the TikToker, as it not only brought in younger viewers, but also allowed the social media personality to legitimize herself as a performer—a trend she sees continuing with TikToker Alix Earle this season.
“I feel like [before 2022] you've seen a lot of contestants saying, “I don't know what this show is and I don't know what I'm doing here.” And now it seems like something really desirable,” Gonzalez said.
Jarvie agreed, noting that this season's cast in particular spans many different online niches, including Traitors winner Dylan Efron, Olympian Jordan Chiles and two stars from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
WATCH | Dylan Efron performs during the Night of the Prince performance on Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars:
“There's a whole constellation of people bringing their diverse social media audiences to the show, and I really think it's kind of created…a magic recipe for success,” Jarvie said.
Given the popularity of dance trends on platforms like TikTok, Gonzalez said the decision to tap popular social media personalities “reads very easily.” The show even came up with the idea of creating an entire episode dedicated to songs and dances that are popular on TikTok.
What's remarkable is that the inclusion of internet celebrities hasn't necessarily alienated longtime fans.
“You'll see comments online from older people like, 'I had no idea who Alix Earle was, but she's a phenomenal dancer,'” Gonzalez said.
“I can't think of any other show that has had such a successful rebrand without completely abandoning its original audience.”
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From full performance videos to behind the scenes and fashion videos, there's no shortage of Dancing with the Stars content to watch online between episodes each week.
This season, the show even introduced TikTok live streaming during episode broadcasts, hosted by some of their professional dancers. Not to mention, there's also an official podcast hosted by season 33 winner and former Bachelor star Joey Graziadei.
“It’s almost like an ecosystem within an ecosystem within an ecosystem,” Gonzalez said.
By all accounts, this media ecosystem is thriving. On YouTube, seven of the 25 most popular videos of all time from the show's official channel are from this season (and, for the record, they're all about conservationist Robert Irwin preparing for the finale).
Likewise, on Instagram and TikTok, everyone associated with Dancing with the Stars – from celebrities to professional dancers and even show musicians – typically receive hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of views.
But with the emergence of a younger and more engaged online audience, viewer voting behavior is changing.
“In the past, I think it was something like, 'I'll vote for whoever I think is the best, or whoever I like, or whoever fascinates me.' And now it’s a big fan culture,” Gonzalez said.
However, with this level of virality comes a compromise.
Gonzalez said she thinks there's “probably a greater inclination” to create choreography that will not only be interesting to the judges, but also enticing to the average viewer.
“People see it and say, 'Maybe I could try it?' “That’s where the virality comes from,” she said. “And to be able to do this, you need to be a professionalMaybe we’ll reduce the complexity of the choreography a little.”
Bye Dancing with the Stars undoubtedly leaning toward fun, catchy themes like “An Evening at Disney,” Jarvie said, “It's very clear… that the dancing is still the most important part of this show.”
As for whose dancing skills will dominate at the end of this season, both Gonzalez and Jarvie believe it will be either Robert Irwin or Alix Earle.
