Overview

• The Sept. 16 Season 34 opener drew 5.53 million viewers with a 1.07 adults 18–49 rating, marking the largest premiere since 2020.
• The series led the 8 p.m. hour, finishing ahead of NBC’s America’s Got Talent in total viewers (+23%) and the 18–49 demo (+182%), per Variety.
• Fans cast 21 million votes, up 163% from last year’s 8 million, and social interactions reached 2.7 million, up 58%.
• ABC’s High Potential Season 2 launched to roughly 4.2 million viewers, with first‑day Hulu viewing up 51% versus its 2024 pilot.
• Both premieres aired the day before ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late‑night show, a separate development that did not affect the reported premiere metrics.