‘A Successful Night’: Kennedy Center Pushes Back on Historic Low ‘Honors’ Ratings
“Comparing this year’s broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias,” says a rep for the institution.
1/2/2026
"Comparing this year's broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias," says a rep for the institution.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the medal presentation ceremony for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images
The month of December was an eventful one for the Kennedy Center. In the leadup to Christmas, the institution was controversially renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, with new signage installed. Then came the boycotts, the threat of retaliatory lawsuits, and the Dec. 23 broadcast of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors, which delivered all-time low ratings.
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And this after Donald Trump, who became the first sitting president to host the show, had predicted it would be “the highest-rated show that they’ve ever done.”
That soft viewership result didn’t reflect what was a “successful night,” say reps for the Kennedy Center.
“Comparing this year’s broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias,” Roma Daravi, vp of public relations for the Kennedy Center, said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “The program performed extremely well across key demographics and platforms, despite industry and timing disadvantages, including a Tuesday air date two days before Christmas.”
According to THR, Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data reported the special averaged 4.1 million viewers, representing a 26% drop in viewership year-on-year.
Since the 2024 show, however, Nielsen changed its methodology by launching its Big Data + Panel system that combines its traditional panel data with data from smart TVs and set-top boxes.
Also, notes, THR, the previous show was broadcast on a Sunday with an NFL lead-in, the Kennedy Center outlined on background.
“With overall television usage down roughly 20 percent year over year, the broadcast still tied for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54, alongside a live NBA doubleheader,” Daravi adds. “And on social media, Honors garnered 1.5 billion impressions in just one night — up from only 50 million similar impressions last year. This was a successful night celebrating the outstanding achievements of our Honorees at the Trump Kennedy Center.”