Dolly Parton’s passing in late August sparked an outpouring of tributes across major broadcast networks, with viewers tuning in across ABC, CBS, NBC, and The CW to celebrate the legendary entertainer’s life and career. The specially programmed content drew substantial audiences during a traditionally slow viewing period, demonstrating the enduring affection the public holds for the iconic musician and philanthropist.
ABC’s rebroadcast of the 1980 film “9 to 5” emerged as the standout success, averaging 4.275 million viewers on August 30. The film became the highest-rated broadcast movie to air in over three years, marking the first time ABC aired such a classic film in recent memory. The achievement also represented the network’s strongest film performance in nearly six years.
Additional tribute programming performed impressively across the networks. ABC’s news special “Dolly Parton: An American Original,” anchored by David Muir, drew 4.051 million initial viewers and expanded to 6.556 million when accounting for multiplatform viewing. CBS’s tribute special averaged 2.085 million viewers, while NBC’s special grew to 4.5 million with streaming figures included. CBS’s “Entertainment Tonight” special reached 5.326 million viewers, featuring archival interviews spanning from 1982 through Parton’s final appearance on the show.
The coverage extended to regular news programming, with ABC’s flagship evening broadcast drawing its largest weekly viewership in five months following Parton’s death announcement.
Originally reported by Variety →
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