The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, hosted by LL Cool J, captivated audiences with its strongest television performance in six years. The show, which aired on CBS and was simulcast on MTV while streaming on Paramount+, drew over 5.5 million viewers, securing its place as the night’s #1 entertainment program. Despite going head-to-head with the premiere of “Sunday Night Football” (Ravens vs. Bills), the VMAs still managed to finish second in its time slot.
This year’s VMAs were the most-watched since 2019, with a 42% increase in viewership from last year’s broadcast on MTV and other Paramount channels, which garnered 3.91 million viewers. It also became the most-watched entertainment special on CBS since the Grammy Awards, and ranked as the third-largest live-streamed entertainment event of the year on Paramount+, following only The Grammys and The Golden Globes.
The VMAs’ voting campaign also set a new record with 2.5 billion votes, a remarkable 121% increase from the previous year. On social media, the event was a powerhouse, generating 1 billion global video views, an increase of 21%, and 81.1 million engagements, up 6% from 2024. #VMAs trended at #1 on X (formerly Twitter) in the U.S. for three consecutive hours and held the #1 spot worldwide for four hours, also trending in 12 countries.
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