TV ratings: Premiere of ‘Dancing With the Stars’ boosts ABC to No. 1

Despite dropping 23% from last year’s fall premiere, ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” helped the network groove to the top of the TV ratings on Monday.

The two-hour Season 19 premiere won the night with 13.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen. With a rating of 2.4, the show was No. 1 among the key 18-to-49-year-old demographic but hit its series low for a premiere.

Elsewhere on ABC, a rerun of “Castle” boasted 7 million viewers, making it the second-most watched program of the night. It earned a rating of 1.1 among the key demo.

ABC averaged 11.3 million viewers, making it the most watched network of the night. With a rating of 2.0 among the key demo, it tied with Fox for most watched in that category.

On Fox, “Masterchef” wrapped up its season with a rating of 2.0 among the key demo, up 11% from last week. The two-hour finale was the second-most watched program among the key demo and averaged 5.4 million viewers overall.

Meanwhile, NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior: USA vs. World” special was third among shows watched by the key demo with a rating of 1.8, down 5% from last year’s special “USA vs. Japan.”

Heading into next week’s season finale, CBS’ “Under the Dome” posted its largest audience and highest ratings in more than a month. The show was the third-most watched program of the night, averaging 6.9 million viewers. With a rating of 1.6 among the key demo, the show was up 14% from last week.

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