Kennedy Center Defends Trump-Hosted Honors Ratings Performance
The Hollywood Reporter••entertainment
Key Points:
- The 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, hosted by Donald Trump, experienced an all-time low in viewership with an average of 4.1 million viewers, marking a 26% drop from the previous year according to Nielsen ratings.
- The Kennedy Center attributed the decline to changes in Nielsen's measurement methodology and unfavorable timing, noting the show aired on a Tuesday close to Christmas, unlike the 2024 broadcast which aired on a Sunday with an NFL lead-in.
- Despite lower overall viewership, the program tied for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54 and generated 1.5 billion social media impressions, a significant increase from 50 million the prior year.
- The ceremony honored Sylvester Stallone,
