VMA Ratings Surge 42% Following Move to CBS

Photo Credit: MTV

The MTV Video Music Awards saw viewership surge 42% with its move to CBS, with 5.5 million viewers—the most for the show in six years.

Airing the awards show for the first time, CBS saw the audience for the MTV Video Music Awards spike with its move to the network, at a 42% increase. According to Nielsen’s earliest available numbers, including out-of-home viewing, the awards show saw 5.5 million viewers across CBS, MTV, and streamed on Paramount+. That’s the most in six years.

This year’s VMAs were the most-watched entertainment special on CBS since the Grammy Awards on February 2.

Last year’s event, including the pre-show and encore airings, averaged only 4.09 million viewers on MTV and 11 other Paramount cable outlets. According to Paramount, the “directly comparable” number is 3.91 million, with adjustments for this year’s edition yet to be released.

While impressive, these results are unsurprising. CBS has a far wider reach than MTV, theoretically available to anyone with a TV, or around 125 million U.S. households. MTV is available in about half that many homes.

Lady Gaga was this year’s biggest winner, securing the Artist of the Year honor and three other awards. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter each won three honors, with Grande winning Video of the Year for “brighter days ahead,” and Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet taking home Album of the Year.

The 2025 VMAs were hosted by LL Cool J, whose history with CBS and Paramount runs deep. He was a cast member on CBS’ NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawaii, and also hosted Paramount’s Lip Sync Battle. The rapper was once named on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time list, and has a history as an MTV staple.

This year’s VMAs saw significant competition from NBC’s Sunday Night Football game, with the Buffalo Bills beating the Baltimore Ravens at the last minute, 41-40. That game was the closeout to the NFL’s opening weekend of the year and clocked an all-time high in viewership.