Kennedy Center Defends Ratings of Trump-Hosted Honors Show
The Kennedy Center has issued a defense concerning the viewership ratings for the 2025 Honors, which were hosted by Donald Trump. The event reached a record low in viewership, prompting comments from Roma Daravi, the center’s vice president of public relations. In a statement released to The Hollywood Reporter, she attributed the comparison of this year’s ratings to past broadcasts as a misleading tactic indicative of far-left bias.
Daravi emphasized that the show performed robustly across various key demographics and platforms. She noted that challenges related to the timing of the broadcast—which aired on a Tuesday shortly before Christmas—affected viewership. According to Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data, the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors attracted an average of 4.1 million viewers, representing a 26 percent decrease from the previous year.
Changes in Nielsen Ratings Methodology
Significantly, the drop in ratings came after Nielsen modified its data collection methodologies. The introduction of the “Big Data + Panel” system merged traditional panel metrics with insights from smart TVs and set-top boxes. This methodological shift made direct year-on-year comparisons more complex.
Broadcast Context
- The 2024 Honors aired on a Sunday and benefited from an NFL lead-in.
- Viewership across all television has declined by approximately 20 percent year-over-year.
Despite these challenges, the 2025 Honors managed to tie for the top viewership spot among adults aged 25–54, shared Daravi. The event also gained substantial traction on social media, racking up 1.5 billion impressions in a single night—an increase from 50 million impressions the previous year.
Highlights from the Ceremony
This year’s Honors spotlighted notable figures such as Sylvester Stallone, Kiss, Gloria Gaynor, Michael Crawford, and George Strait. The ceremony took place on December 7, with Trump expressing his expectations for high ratings prior to the event. He confidently predicted that the broadcast would achieve record viewership, stating that no president had ever hosted the awards before.
Trump drew comparisons to previous hosts, including Jimmy Kimmel, voicing his belief in his own potential to engage viewers effectively. He joked about anticipating mixed reviews from critics, despite his optimism for the event’s reception.
Overall, the Kennedy Center defends the 2025 Honors as a substantial celebration of artistic achievement, despite the challenges surrounding its ratings and scheduling.
