viewership

Viewership For 2023 MTV VMAs Sees Massive Surge

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The early ratings are in! The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards held on September 12th in Newark, New Jersey proved to be a remarkable night for music. The star-studded night was filled with memorable moments, making it the highest-rated VMAs in three years. According to early data from Nielsen, the awards show saw 37% growth in total viewers year-over-year with 865,000 people tuning in to watch the show, versus 630,000 last year. This 37% increase in viewership is based on fast national data for MTV’s linear channel alone. The VMAs were also broadcast on other networks owned by Paramount Global, including BET, VH1, and Comedy Central. There were performances from prominent stars such as Diddy, Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Lil Wayne, Shakira, and more. This year’s VMAs generated significant interest! This attributed to the rise in viewership compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, the 2023 Video Music Awards earned a 1.03 rating in the 18-49 demographic, marking a substantial 77% increase from the previous year’s 0.58 rating. This 1.03 rating is the highest since the 2020 VMAs. This year’s slate of performances were especially captivating. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion took the stage together to debut their collaboration “Bongos.” Additionally, Doja Cat delivered captivating performances of “Attention,” “Paint the Town Red,” and new song “Demons” during the show. At the time of writing, Doja Cat’s VMA performance has garnered over 2.3 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile Cardi and Megan’s “Bongos” currently boasts 2 million plays on the platform. The hip-hop anniversary tribute featuring Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, LL Cool J and more currently sits at 2.1M views.

Read More: Yung Miami Talks Reality Show And Podcast During VMA Interview

VMAs Performances Contributed To The Ratings Skyrocketing

Not only were the performances some of the highlights of the night, but the evening was also filled with plenty of other notable moments that circulated social media. For instance, a viral clip circulated showing Megan Thee Stallion exchanging words with presenter Justin Timberlake backstage. Social media speculated the two got into an argument of some sort. However, a source told Billboard that Megan was simply excited to meet Timberlake and she was insisting on a proper introduction at a less chaotic time.

Another moment that was widely talked about was Saweetie reading from a teleprompter. The artist ended up having an embarrassing moment while reading her script. She missed her cue and stumbling over her words a few times. Furthermore, Selena Gomez was caught on camera reacting to Chris Brown’s name being said as one of the nominees during the best R&B award. In the video, Gomez visibly frowns and stops clapping. In conclusion, this year’s VMAs were action-packed with pop-culture moments that will be discussed for years to come.

Read More: Victoria Monet Says She Was Told It Was “Too Early” In Her Career To Perform At VMAs

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“The Idol” Is Dominating Social Media, But Viewership Remains Uncertain

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Is The Idol any good? Audiences and critics are deeply divided. The show, created by Sam Levinson, the man behind Euphoria, has proven deeply controversial. Starring Lily Rose-Depp and The Weeknd, The Idol focuses on the relationship between disgraced popstar Jocelyn (Depp) and DJ/cult leader Tedros (The Weeknd). Controversy has surrounded the show since its production days, with criticism leveled at the likes of The Weeknd.

Viewing figures may paint the show as a success. However, audiences and critics alike have absolutely panned the show. On Rotten Tomatoes, the holds a 25% critic score and a 58% audience score. Episode 2, the most recent episode to be released, was viciously mocked for its sex scenes and incredibly cringey dialogue. Furthermore, sources indicated that HBO is unwilling to greenlight the show for a second season. Despite this, there is likely one major reason it hasn’t been outright canceled.

The Idol Surpasses First-Week Viewing Figures For Other HBO Hits

According to HBO, the premiere of The Idol received 3.6 million views in its first week, surpassing the first-week totals of Season 1 of The White Lotus (3 million) and Euphoria (3.3 million). Furthermore, The Idol continues to top the rankings at televisionstats.com, a site that attempts to quantify online engagement for television shows. However, the site does not account for viewing figures. It is simply a representation of how much a show is being searched for and talked about on social media.

Despite this, is The Idol in a bubble? Viewership dropped 12% between episodes 1 and 2. Furthermore, viewership will likely continue to drop after the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the show’s second episode. By the end of its first season, The White Lotus was averaging 9.3 million viewers. Meanwhile, Euphoria was averaging 6.6 million. Unless things drastically turn around, it’s unlikely that The Idol is going to reach these sorts of numbers before the end of the show. The reaction to The Idol is reminiscent of the reaction to Morbius, another media property everyone talked about but no one actually watched. While The Idol‘s future remains to be seen, it just goes to show that social media should not be used as a gauge of success.

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Phoenix Suns Owner Vows To Make Games Free To Watch

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Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia is ready to make NBA games more accessible for fans. Ishbia spoke to the media in Phoenix about making games free for fans to watch at home. With the NFL’s recent massive contract for their viewership, it’s surprising to hear someone wanting to broadcast free games. However, the money isn’t a priority for the Suns owner. Although many billionaires probably wouldn’t put anything over money, Ishbia seems to have a different take.

“We’re not focusing on money. We’re focusing on winning, success, and taking care of fans, taking care of the community,” Ishbia commented when discussing the future of the organization. Fans of the league have long been frustrated with the way games are handled. Many markets see blackouts. Blackouts mean the game isn’t available in certain markets. So, for instance, if you wanted to watch your team out of market, you’d more than likely have to purchase the NBA League Pass.

Phoenix Suns Want To Deliver Free Games

While the theory of free games sounds amazing. However, the NBA will more than likely not be on board with this dream. Streaming services are bidding for the rights of every major professional sports league. One has to imagine the NBA’s price wouldn’t be cheap. But if things become too expensive, there will be no fans watching the product. Which is the big reason Ishbia could be looking into making games more accessible.

Teams will not lose money by giving more fans a chance to see their team. However, don’t expect any other franchises to make these same claims. Maybe Ishbia is just saying loud statements to get fans on his side. Since he is the newest owner of an NBA franchise. However, one thing is for certain, this statement will not be going away any time soon. Would you like to see teams follow the Phoenix Suns lead and attempt to show games free? Are you more likely to watch more basketball if games were offered locally? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section. For the latest NBA news, keep it right here with HNHH.