VMAs average 8.43m viewers, biggest audience in 11 years

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards averaged 8.43 million viewers on CBS and MTV, Variety reported citing Nielsen live-plus-same-day fast nationals. That is up 51% year on year and the biggest VMAs audience in 11 years since 2015. CBS drew 7.61 million. The MTV simulcast, meaning the same show on a second channel, added 686,000.