MTV isn’t dead, and neither is RuPaul’s Drag Race. With the premiere of Season 18, the long-running reality competition show has set a new viewership record. The record-breaking ratings come amid viral rumors about MTV shutting down, but as RuPaul said in the Season 18 premiere, you can’t keep a good queen down.
Drag Race viewership is at an all-time high
Season 18 of Drag Race kicked off on MTV last Friday, January 2, with Cardi B serving as a guest judge. According to Deadline, the Season 18 premiere delivered the show its highest ratings of all time.
The premiere saw a noticeable increase from Season 17 in the all-important P18-49 demographic. They earned a 0.674 share compared to the previous season’s 0.577.
Plus, it was the most-watched entertainment telecast of the day among the P18-34 and P18-49 demographics. To put it in basic terms, there were a lot of eyes watching Nini Coco lip-sync to Cardi B in a dress she just made entirely out of paper bags.
Of course, Drag Race also dominated social media. The outlet reported a 6% uptick in social media impressions compared to the Season 17 premiere. It’s an impressive feat for a show this many years in.
In addition to killing it with the live TV ratings, RuPaul and the team behind the Emmy-award-winning franchise are gearing up to take over the big screen. Later this year, they’ll debut the first-ever feature-length film from the Drag Race franchise. Titled Stop That Train, it’s expected to hit theaters in May 2026.
So, they’ve got Season 18 setting records on MTV, a movie heading to theaters, and there’s also another season of RuPaul’s Drag All Stars greenlit for Paramount+ this summer. 2026 is shaping up to be another huge year for Drag Race.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 airs on MTV every Friday at 8/7c.
TELL US – DID YOU WATCH THE DRAG RACE SEASON 18 PREMIERE? ARE YOU SURPRISED THAT THE SHOW IS STILL GROWING IN VIEWERSHIP?