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CBS\u2019 and MTV\u2018s coverage of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards averaged a combined 8.43 million viewers on Sunday night, according to Nielsen Live+same day fast nationals. Those numbers are subject to change once finals are in, but for now that makes it the most-watched VMAs in 11 years (since 2015, when it only ran on MTV) and puts it up 51% vs. last year\u2019s show.\n\n\n\n\n\tThe VMAs were likely assisted by an NFL football overrun (which went late until the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Dallas Cowboys), pushing the start time of the VMAs by several minutes (to 7:51 p.m. ET). The show still started at 4:30 p.m. PT inside L.A. Live\u2019s Peacock Theater, but wound up being tape-delayed as a result on CBS.\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\tThat 8.43 million number includes the simulcast on CBS and MTV, as well as an encore on MTV. But in an apples-to-apples comparison, the show last year (on Sept. 7, 2025) also aired on CBS, MTV and encored on MTV \u2014 and that telecast brought in 5.60 million viewers.\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPopular on Variety\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\tIn individual network numbers, the CBS telecast averaged 7.61 million viewers, up 52% from last year (5.00 million). MTV\u2019s simulcast averaged 686,000 viewers (up 40% from last year\u2019s 481,000). And the MTV encore brought in 142,000 viewers (up 31% from 108,000 last year).\n\n\n\n\n\tAccording to CBS, this year repped the best same-day audience for the VMAs since 2015, when the awards show hit a big 12.73 million viewers.\n\n\n\n\n\tIn demos, this was the most-watched VMAs in adults 25-54 (3.11 million) since 2019 (3.55 million) and was up +34% from last year (2.32 million). In adults 18-49, the show took in 2.66 million \u2014 the best since 2018 (3.02 million) and up 32% from 2025 (2.02 million). 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CBS\u2019 and MTV\u2018s coverage of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards averaged a combined 8.43 million viewers on Sunday night, according to Nielsen Live+same day fast nationals. Those numbers are subject to change once finals are in, but for now that makes it the most-watched VMAs in 11 years (since 2015, when it only ran on MTV) and puts it up 51% vs. last year\u2019s show.\n\n\n\n\n\tThe VMAs were likely assisted by an NFL football overrun (which went late until the Baltimore Ravens defeated the Dallas Cowboys), pushing the start time of the VMAs by several minutes (to 7:51 p.m. ET). The show still started at 4:30 p.m. PT inside L.A. Live\u2019s Peacock Theater, but wound up being tape-delayed as a result on CBS.\n\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\tThat 8.43 million number includes the simulcast on CBS and MTV, as well as an encore on MTV. But in an apples-to-apples comparison, the show last year (on Sept. 7, 2025) also aired on CBS, MTV and encored on MTV \u2014 and that telecast brought in 5.60 million viewers.\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tPopular on Variety\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\tIn individual network numbers, the CBS telecast averaged 7.61 million viewers, up 52% from last year (5.00 million). MTV\u2019s simulcast averaged 686,000 viewers (up 40% from last year\u2019s 481,000). And the MTV encore brought in 142,000 viewers (up 31% from 108,000 last year).\n\n\n\n\n\tAccording to CBS, this year repped the best same-day audience for the VMAs since 2015, when the awards show hit a big 12.73 million viewers.\n\n\n\n\n\tIn demos, this was the most-watched VMAs in adults 25-54 (3.11 million) since 2019 (3.55 million) and was up +34% from last year (2.32 million). In adults 18-49, the show took in 2.66 million \u2014 the best since 2018 (3.02 million) and up 32% from 2025 (2.02 million). 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