“The View” Shatters Daytime TV Expectations With Its Biggest Premiere in Years

For nearly three decades, The View has been a lightning rod — part talk show, part political battleground, part cultural mirror. It has weathered cast shakeups, controversies, live-TV blowups, and even predictions of its demise. Yet here it is in 2025, not just surviving, but thriving.

The ABC News daytime chat show has pulled off something that no one in television saw coming: its most-watched season premiere in five years and its strongest premiere week in four.

And the story doesn’t end there.

A Premiere That Stunned the Industry

On September 8, The View returned for its 29th season. Nielsen ratings revealed a staggering 2.602 million viewers, the show’s highest season-opening audience since September 2020. Compared to last year’s launch, viewership surged by 7%.

Even more impressive, the show held its momentum across premiere week, averaging 2.324 million viewers and topping daytime competitors, including NBC’s Today Third Hour (1.963 million), Today With Hoda & Jenna (1.384 million), and NBC News Daily (1.245 million).

In the highly competitive daytime talk space — where audiences have been shrinking for years — these numbers turned heads.

“This is not just a bump,” one network analyst remarked. “It’s a sign that The View has cracked the formula again.”

A Surge Among Coveted Demos

The numbers weren’t just broad. They were targeted. Among women 25-54, The View averaged 195,000 viewers during premiere week, up 12% over last year. With women 18-49, it averaged 151,000 viewers, also up 12% year-over-year.

These are the audiences advertisers chase most aggressively, making the uptick doubly significant.

By week two, The View managed to sustain its strength, averaging 2.311 million viewers and even edging slightly higher in the women 25-54 category (196,000).

The message was clear: this wasn’t a one-week stunt. It was momentum.

The “Cold War” of Daytime TV

For years, The View and NBC’s Today spinoffs have fought quietly for daytime dominance. But this fall, the battle feels like a full-on cold war.

While NBC’s Today Third Hour and Hoda & Jenna are struggling to maintain their bases, The View is expanding its reach — both on-air and online.

It’s not just beating rivals in ratings; it’s dominating the cultural conversation. Clips from the show continue to spark viral debates across platforms, with ABC News reporting more than 1 billion video views across social channels in the last 12 months.

In other words, The View is not just a daytime show. It’s a cross-platform phenomenon.

The Ghost of Decline

It wasn’t long ago that critics predicted The View’s end. Ratings dips, constant turnover at the table, and fatigue with political shouting matches had some wondering if the format was outdated.

But the new numbers prove otherwise.

“This was supposed to be the era of fragmentation,” one insider noted. “But The View shows that if you give audiences conflict, personality, and authenticity, they’ll still show up — and they’ll keep showing up.”

A Billion Views and Counting

One of the show’s most overlooked weapons is its digital dominance. Beyond broadcast, The View has quietly built a massive online footprint. Over the past 12 months, ABC News reports the show has generated over 1 billion video views across YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and other social outlets.

That means even when viewers aren’t watching live at 11 a.m., they’re consuming — and sharing — clips within hours.

This blending of broadcast and digital strategy may explain why the Season 29 premiere week landed so powerfully: the show isn’t just fighting for TV ratings. It’s winning the internet battle, too.

Rivals Left Behind

For NBC, the contrast is stark. Today Third Hour averaged 1.963 million viewers during premiere week, nearly 400,000 fewer than The View. Hoda & Jenna trailed even further, at just 1.384 million.

The decline has sparked questions about whether NBC needs to retool its daytime slate, particularly as The View proves that daytime can still pull blockbuster audiences with the right mix of drama and substance.

What It Means for Season 29

The early success of Season 29 suggests a new chapter for The View. Far from fading, the show is positioning itself as a central cultural stage.

With the 2024 election cycle still echoing and 2028 looming, The View has become a daily forum where politics and pop culture collide. Its panelists are not just talk-show hosts; they’re influencers shaping national conversation in real time.

And with ABC investing in extensions like The Weekend View, it’s clear the network intends to capitalize on the momentum.

A Surprising Lesson

The success of The View in 2025 carries a lesson for all of television: personality-driven, unpredictable, and authentic content can still cut through the noise.

In an era of scripted, polished entertainment, viewers are choosing messy, real, and raw.

That’s the paradox of The View. The very qualities that critics once derided — the constant fighting, the unscripted chaos, the sometimes awkward silences — are what now make it indispensable.

Conclusion: The View From the Top

Nearly 30 years after Barbara Walters first created The View, the show is proving that its format is not just alive — it’s thriving.

The Season 29 premiere didn’t just set a ratings record. It reminded the industry that daytime television still matters.

With millions watching, billions engaging online, and competitors scrambling to keep up, The View has reclaimed its place as the cultural heavyweight of daytime TV.

And if its first two weeks are any indication, Season 29 won’t just be its strongest in years — it may be the most explosive yet.