Spotify and Paramount Ink VMAs Deal, Adding On-Platform Videos

Another day, another video expansion for Spotify, which has debuted a dedicated MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) hub and is preparing to add “select performances from the 2026″ edition.

Spotify announced its Video Music Awards plans and wider Paramount partnership today. With the VMAs set to take place on Sunday, the DSP is specifically aboard as the award show’s “official music and video partner.”

And in keeping with the billing, Spotify’s above-noted hub is already plugging music videos from as well as video-podcast interviews featuring the 2026 nominees and performers.

Existing VMAs performances are likewise front and center in the digital destination, as are the “MTV VMAs Official Playlist” and the “MTV VMAs Throwbacks” playlist, both of which prioritize (you guessed it) music videos.

As mentioned, Spotify is expected to add certain 2026 VMAs performances – though the videos won’t go live until “after the broadcast” on MTV, CBS, and Paramount+.

Nevertheless, the on-platform availability could appeal to repeat-viewing-minded diehards as well as casual fans who don’t intend to sit through the VMAs telecast. (A worthwhile note on this front: Organizers have opted for a condensed two-hour broadcast, down from three hours last year.)

“The VMAs have celebrated the music video as an art form for more than 40 years,” added Spotify Music Studios head Sarah Patellos, “and we’re excited to bring that legacy to Spotify.

“Fans already come to Spotify every day to listen to their favorite artists and increasingly to watch them, too, so bringing the VMA experience to the platform feels really natural. It’s another way for fans to connect with the artists and music they love,” the exec concluded.

For Spotify, it’s also another step on the road to potentially catching up to the video market leader, YouTube. Of course, this is easier said than done – especially after a massive investment failed to propel Spotify past the Google subsidiary on the podcasting side.

Even so, it’s quite clear that the DSP is attempting to close the video gap by engaging its users – who have, after all, joined a platform specializing in music – with viewable content.

The effort has been in motion for a while, but the ultra-aggressive nature of Spotify’s recent video-expansion initiatives is telling. Since September’s start, the service has scored a limited exclusive of Noah Kahan’s “Orbiter” music video; partnered with Genius on new episodes of Open Mic and Verified; and added all 58 of Taylor Swift’s music videos – with the 59th, for “Patient Zero,” expected to premiere during the VMAs.