MTV Video Music Awards Hits an All-Time Low

The trend of award shows declining in ratings continues as the MTV Video Music Awards drew its smallest audience ever. Monday’s show drew 2.25 million viewers and a 1.1 rating among adults 18-49.

What makes it worse for this year’s VMAs is that while the 2017 awards also aired opposite the Game of Thrones finale on HBO; the only competition on cable Monday was WWE Monday Night Raw on USA (1.1 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers) and an NFL preseason game on ESPN (0.8, 2.66 million).

The VMAs also suffered even steeper declines among MTV’s core viewership of teens and young adults. In the 18-34 demo, the show’s 1.2 rating fell by almost half from 2.2 a year ago.

I guess MTV will soon be adding an “achievement in popular film music” to increase ratings in 2019.


Like this story? Follow Reel Talk Inc. on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for daily news and reviews, and sign up for our email newsletter here.

Podchaser - Reel Chronicles
About David Gonzalez 3061 Articles
David Gonzalez is the founder and chief film critic of Reel Talk Inc. and host of the Reel Chronicles and Chop Talk (80s horror) podcasts. As a Cuban American independent film critic, David writes fair and diverse criticism covering movies of all genres and spotlighting minority voices through Reel Talk. David has covered and reviewed films at Tribeca, TIFF, NYFF, Sundance, SXSW, and several other film festivals. He is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved Critic and a member of the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA), New York Film Critics Online, Hollywood Film Critics Association, and the North American Film Critic Association. As an avid film collector and awards watcher, David's finger is always on the industry's pulse. David informs and educates with knowledgeable and exciting content and has become a trusted resource for readers and listeners alike. Email him at david@reeltalkinc.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @reeltalkinc.