According to the 30th Anniversary DS Almanac, DS was getting 9-10 million viewers in its first year.
But to put things into perspective ratings-wise, during the time Hidden Faces was on, DS was basically in its heyday and it had an overall 8.4 rating for the year. However, As The World Turns had a 13.8, which was not only huge, but 3 full ratings points higher than the soap at #2 (Search For Tomorrow) which had a 10.7. But all Hidden Faces could pull was a 3.3. And all I'm saying is that that's not surprising given it was on opposite the powerhouse that was ATWT in those days.