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MTV Video Music Awards 2026 viewers may have been begging organizers to 'pull the plug' on the award show but this year's ratings were the highest in over a decade.
The award show was headlined by massive stars Taylor Swift and Madonna and that strategy proved successful as it averaged a combined 8.43 million viewers on Sunday night, according to Nielsen Live+ same day fast nationals via Variety on Monday.
The numbers were impressive considering the show was plagued with issues including a delayed start time, confusing speeches, many of music's biggest stars missing from the event, and viewers branding it as 'boring.'
The publication notes that the numbers are subject to change when the final ones come in, but as it stands that would make it the most-watched edition of the award show since 2015.
This year it aired both on national television via CBS in addition to its normal home on cable on MTV as ratings were up 51 percent from last year.
The VMAs likely had some help by an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys which ran long and pushed the start time of the award show back by several minutes.
MTV Video Music Awards 2026 viewers may have been begging organizers to 'pull the plug' on the award show but this year's ratings were the highest in over a decade (Above, Taylor Swift and Dakota Johnson at the event)
Though it began airing at 4:51pm PST, the show did start at 4:30pm PST at Downtown Los Angeles' Peacock Theater thus ended up ultimately being tape delayed.
Despite the strong numbers, viewers of the VMAs 2026 urged organizers to 'pull the plug' on the show after it was riddled with issues.
This year's ceremony was hosted by Snoop Dogg and featured plenty of star power but it seems as though enthusiasm for the annual fixture is dying out.
Many former fans took to X to share their concern about the 'boring' event, adding that they struggled to see a future for it.
'Getting the feeling this might be the last VMAs,' one viewer wrote.
'There's no shame in bowing out gracefully. Gotta read the room,' another added.
'I thought it was just me, this sh** is boring,' shared a third, before someone else wrote, in part: 'Honestly, the VMAs have felt like a funeral for years.'
'We say this every single year. Honestly just pull the plug,' one penned.
Addressing MTV directly, another simply asked: 'What was that?'
This year's broadcast was plagued with issues from the outset.
Fans hoping to watch the iconic opening of the show were left furious when they tuned into the network airing the program and found the NFL game between the Cowboys and Ravens instead.
The award show was headlined by massive stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Madonna (pictured) and that strategy proved successful as it averaged a combined 8.43 million viewers on Sunday night, according to Nielsen Live+ same day fast nationals via Variety on Monday
'Hold tight, the 2026 #VMAs will take off after the football game finishes. Live, coming up on CBS and streaming on Paramount+!' the official VMAs X account wrote in an update – much to the chagrin of fans.
As mentioned earlier, the awards show did not start playing on the network until roughly 21 minutes late, after the initial performance had finished and the first honor had been given out.
There were also a series of music industry titans who failed to show up for the proceedings entirely, such as Ariana Grande, Zara Larsson, Olivia Rodrigo and Lady Gaga - to name just a few.
Elsewhere, Madonna was torched for her 'utterly unfocused' comeback performance, with many accusing her of lip-syncing as well as sharing their fears that she was seemingly out of breath onstage.
A series of music industry titans failed to show up for the proceedings, including Zara Larsson
Olivia Rodrigo (left) and Ariana Grande (right) also failed to show up at this year's VMAs
Later, the 68-year-old star sensationally forgot what award she was on stage to accept from Charli XCX and Troye Sivan.
'What is this for, again?' she quipped after winning Best Dance for Confessions II – The Film, before Charli XCX opened the announcement card to jog her memory.
She then bizarrely announced that she had a laser 'stuck' up her posterior before leaving the stage in bizarre scenes.
Additionally, there were also several categories excluded from this year's telecast – including Song of the Year.
This also sparked outrage on social media as one fan mocked: 'Excluding awards from an award show?'
Another added: 'Why didn't they include Song of the Year??? SH**TY AWARD SHOW.'
The MTV Video Music Awards have been running for 42 years since their inception in 1984.
It has produced some iconic moments over the years, from Madonna's famous on-stage kiss with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera in 2003 to Gaga's meat dress in 2010.
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