Disney Plus
Some “Dancing With the Stars” fans who are unhappy about the show moving to Disney Plus have started a Change.org petition to bring the show back to ABC, saying that the “majority” of viewers are senior citizens who “cannot afford” to add Disney Plus.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Petition Calls Disney Plus a ‘Huge Financial Hardship’
The petition at Change.org calls Disney Plus a “huge financial hardship” for its longtime viewers, which the petition says are mostly senior citizens. It also says that moving it off live TV with no way to DVR it is a “huge loss for viewers.”
The Change.org petition reads:
DWTS moving to Disney + will be a HUGE FINANCIAL HARDSHIP for the longtime loyal viewers. The majority of DWTS viewers are senior citizens. Who cannot afford to add Disney+ to watch 1 program DWTS. Since 2005 we have been loyal viewers keeping ratings high, the show getting renewed season after season. DWTS is the absolute FAVORITE show of a majority of viewers. Who wait anxiously for DWTS to return each season. DWTS MOVING OFF LIVE TV, NO WAY TO DVR IT IS A HUGE LOSS FOR VIEWERS. PLEASE PUT DWTS BACK ON LIVE TV.
As a point of clarification — “Dancing With the Stars” is still on live TV. It airs live on Disney Plus. And while the Disney Plus streaming service does not technically have a DVR function, the live stream is pausable and there is also the ability to rewind and fast-forward, plus a recording of the show stays on Disney Plus for viewers to watch later if they cannot watch live.
However, the petition is correct about the age of “Dancing With the Stars” viewers. In season 30, Nielsen, the company that gauges TV ratings, said that the median age of “Dancing With the Stars” viewers is 63.4 years old, according to IndieWire.
Fans in the Comments Say They Will ‘Not Be Held Hostage to Disney Plus’
The comments on the petition are full of fans who are angry about the show’s move to Disney Plus, saying they “will not be held hostage” to the streaming service to watch their favorite show.
“I will not be held hostage to Disney Plus to watch ‘Dancing With the Stars,'” wrote one viewer. “I have watched every season, but I won’t watch it [if] it moves to Disney Plus.”
Another fan wrote, “I don’t want to have to pay to watch. It belongs on ABC.”
“The idea of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ ending on Disney Plus makes me want to barf,” wrote a third fan.
It isn’t just commenters on the petition who are begging the Disney Corporation to bring the show back to ABC.
On Instagram, one viewer wrote, “So sorry I am missing this season. Please come back to ABC,” and another added, “I wish you were on ABC. Not everyone can pay for Disney Plus.”
On Facebook, one fan wrote, “Wish I could see it. Put it back on ABC.”
Another fan wrote, “Put it back on ABC. This is ridiculous…all the money we all pay for cable and now the greedy want more. No thx.”
There does seem to be some confusion among some viewers about Disney Plus versus the Disney Channel. Disney Plus is the stand-alone streaming service, while the Disney Channel is a network on most expanded cable packages.
“Two great dancers, wish I could see them, don’t have Disney Channel,” wrote one fan on Facebook.
Another wrote, “I don’t care, I don’t have Disney Channel and not paying for anything else. I lost interest in it.”
“I have watched it since day one and they went to the Disney Channel, so forget it I’m not paying for Disney just to watch them,” wrote a third fan.
Unfortunately For Fans Who Want it to Come Back to ABC, It Sounds Like Viewership Numbers Are Good on Disney Plus
In an Instagram story, pro-turned-judge Derek Hough said that they received some numbers for the premiere and it exceeded expectations by nine times what production thought the viewership numbers would be.
“I’m not supposed to share this, but we just got some information that last week’ spremiere of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ actually exceeded expectations in viewership by nine times. Nine times it exceeded expectations!” said Hough. “So I just want to say thank you so much to everybody who tuned in to watch, who care about the show, who care about us, who have been with us since the beginning, who are new, thank you. Thank you so much, it means the absolute world to us. Thank you for coming along with us on this new adventure, this new journey, this new era of entertainment. We love you, we appreciate it, so let’s keep this party rolling, guys.”
And then in an interview with Sway’s Universe, hosts Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro teased the numbers too, saying that they aren’t really supposed to talk about numbers, but they’ve been hearing good things.
“We not supposed to talk about it, but from what I understand, we killed it,” said Ribeiro.
Banks added, “Say what you want, the ratings are through the roof.”
“Dancing With the Stars” airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m. Pacific time on Disney Plus.
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Fans Petitioning to Bring DWTS Back to ABC