The New Year’s Day induction ceremony of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame created history by becoming the most viewed ever, pulling in an impressive average of 4.6 million viewers on ABC’s primetime special.
The viewership represents a substantial 49% increase from the previous year, which had reached 3.1 million viewers. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony also improved its rating among the key adults age 18-49 demographic, scoring a 0.5 — a 39% increase from the 0.36 in 2023. This ties with the show’s highest demo rating in 20 years, since March 21, 2004.
Not only did the ceremony set personal records, but the three-hour special also became the most-watched primetime entertainment program on broadcast television in six years, since Jan. 1 2019.
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Despite airing on New Year’s Day 2025, the record-setting ceremony celebrated the 2024 class of inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This included luminaries such as Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, and A Tribe Called Quest. Additional acknowledgments went to Alexis Korner, John Mayall and Big Mama Thornton for Musical Influence; Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield for Musical Excellence; and Suzanne De Passe for the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The ceremony originally took place in Cleveland, Ohio on Oct. 19, before its broadcast on ABC on New Year’s Day and its release on Hulu the following day. Besides the inductees and award winners, artists such as Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Jelly Roll, and Keith Urban graced the event with their presence.
The ceremony was brought to life by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions, with executive producers including John Sykes, Joel Peresman, and Joel Gallen.
Credit: variety.com
