VMAs Reach 2015 Ratings High
2026 MTV Video Music Awards Draw 8.43 Million Viewers for Highest Ratings Since 2015
Anonymous
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards drew a combined 8.43 million viewers across CBS and MTV, including an MTV encore, up 51% from last year and the show’s largest same-day audience since 2015. Viewership peaked at more than 15 million during the opening performance featuring Madonna, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX; an NFL game immediately before the broadcast may also have boosted the audience. CBS averaged 7.61 million viewers, while MTV’s simulcast drew 686,000. The ceremony also posted its strongest audiences in several key age groups in years and generated 159 million social video views, an 8% increase year over year.
Key Points
1
The VMAs averaged 2.66 million viewers among adults 18–49, 3.11 million among adults 25–54, and 1.09 million among adults 18–34. Those audiences were respectively up 32%, 34%, and 46% from 2025.
2
Madonna’s opening performance marked her first appearance performing at the VMAs in 23 years.
3
Madonna was the night’s most-awarded artist, with seven wins. Taylor Swift won Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and received the inaugural Artist Director award; Nirvana received the Video Vanguard honor.
4
The broadcast generated 31.1 million social-media interactions, in addition to its 159 million video views.
Sentiment
Mostly PositiveNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
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Articles
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Reach
25
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