In 2011, the Video Music Awards on MTV earned over 12 million viewers. The advertising, the revenue, the ratings… it was a cultural moment. Now, ten years later, the VMAs have essentially become less popular than many everyday cable news shows.
Daily Mail is reporting that the VMA numbers are in and they’re… terrible. With only about 900 thousand viewers tuning in, the awards show has lost more than 91% of its peak audience. While the article tries to spin the “social media buzz” surrounding the “event”, social media buzz doesn’t pay the bills. The question now becomes how long the Video Music Awards can possibly continue with numbers this low?
CALL HIM #VMA VIDEO OF THE YEAR WINNER…. @LilNasX!!!! pic.twitter.com/suVnwoWOiS
— MTV (@MTV) September 13, 2021
I have a strong feeling that the VMA are getting canceled. Like those ratings are a joke wtf??! 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/vMqZjDNrYp
— Le Sserafim’s Pokémon -V2 (@MhydexPrivate) September 13, 2021
The amount of expenditure it must take to pull off the VMAs versus the revenue has to be incredibly upside down at this point. Still, it’s not the only awards show to take a huge hit. With no change in sight, however, it’s only a matter of time before some shows have to pull the plug.
