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Lady Gaga is going to have to host the show next year to top this. MTV’s annual Video Music Awards just scored its biggest audience ever last night — 12.4 million viewers.
Not only are those record-setting numbers for the VMAs, but last night’s show was also the most-watched single telecast in MTV’s history. The viewership is up 9 percent from last year’s show and stands as the most-watched non-sports cable telecast of the year (VMA winners and losers here).
UPDATE: Jersey Shore, which served as a lead in (recap here), netted a good — but not record setting — 8 million viewers. The pilot preview of I Want My Pants Back (exclusive trailer here) landed 5.1 million viewers after the show — though quite a drop off from the VMAs, that’s still a strong sampling for MTV, especially for a scripted show. The comedy is set to debut Jan. 2012.
Read more:
MTV VMAs 2011: Best/Worst Style
MTV VMAs 2011: Grading the Performances
MTV 2011 VMAs: Beyonce’s baby bump, the moving Amy Winehouse tribute, and other memorable moments
The MTV Video Music Awards was a conservative show, not a bad thing: A review
MTV 2011 VMAs: Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Adele big winners
Tyler, the Creator: Learn more about the potty-mouthed 2011 VMAs’ Best New Artist winner
Britney always brings the ratings. Too bad they screwed up her tribute.
I agree. The tribute was kind of disapointing but at least she looked happy.
After the Adele performance, MTV should have canceled the Spears tribute.
It’s a complete waste of time. I would rather watch grass grow in my front yard than spend my time watching this stupid PR stunt.
Well apparently Jane 12,4 million other ppl disagreed. that is a great number for a stupid PR stunt
They should have brought out Rebecca Black for the finale. It would have been the cherry on top of a mountain of pure B S
America loves crap.
Katy looked great.
Yeah, they just used her
Media is so clueless. They’ll trip over themselves to give Gaga and Beyonce the credit when MTV knows its Britney being there that brings the ratings numbers up.
Wait. You say that it’s Britney bringing the ratings up but the ratings have been climbing since 2009 and Britney hasn’t even been there since 2008.
Aren’t they all from the same record company? It sure seems that way to me.
If Britney brought in the viewers then why is everyone talking about Beyonce the day after the VMA’s?
Yeah, Britney is what brough in viewers. NOT! (see how I used a tired reference from the 90s while talking about Britney!)
This answers the question of why MTV still shows the awards.
Yes she does and what does mtv do for her, give her a lame tribute and a “vanguard award” that looked just like a moon man. She isnt allowed to speak since the mic was hogged by fame hog lady copy and paste, her “tribute” if thats what you call it was like 2 seconds…then get this Britney says all these very nice things about.. Beyonce then presents her show?!! REALLY?!! MTV?!! REALLY?!! Dont get me wrong ill fight for Beyonce, but Britney was done WRONG!!!! very very WRONG!
Record numbers of people tune to see mediocrity.
A lot of the performances last night were actually excellent.
Adele was the only good performance.
Adele is so above this kind of crap.
America loves crap and Lady Gaga is the biggest example of that.
Women’s opinions don’t matter here, you sIut!
12.4 million people are idiots
seriously, why do people like you even visit ew.com? I think you’d be much more happy reading some indie blog roll.
Forget about indie. Britney Spears was the only thing I came to see last night, and she didn’t even win. She was robbed. What a bunch of B S
Lol , Gaga promo commercials , Gaga opening , Gaga presenting Britney , the Amy tribute , the trailer premiere, Shore ..im not surprised ! Gaga was legendary yday!
I’m sorry… but the viewership had NOTHING to do with that vapid waste, gaga.
Agreed. I fast forwarded through all of her parts.
Really?
This is why MTV is awful. It’s viewers demand it.
Face it, it was The Hunger Games teaser that brought in a boatload of young adults (myself included).
That was the only reason I could find to watch & I still didn’t watch it. I just figured I’d read about it all the next day. I do have to say that I’m getting really tired of everyone talkin about their alternate personalities though. Beyonce, minaj, gaga. It’s like they want to be so weird that being themselves isn’t good enough, they have to come up with more people to be. UGH!
I think it got so many viewers because the show was supposed to have a lot of big things this year that people were looking forward to, like Gaga, the Hunger Games teaser, the Britney tribute, and the Amy tribute. Plus having Jersey Shore, which a lot of people watch, as a lead-in, and surprises like beoynce’s pregnancy prolly brought in more viewers.
agreed. i think it was a combination of all those things. they got all the big names in one place Gaga, Beyonce, Britney, Katy, Adele, Nicki. 2011 is the year of the female pop star. i’m surprised they snubbed the other it girl Rihanna.
Let’s face it. The last two years in the music industry have been all about the female singers and one boy named justin bieber.
That show was a big steaming pile of crap last night.Is it absolutely necesssary to be dropping F-Bombs every other word?
they THINK it’s cool!
Maybe this is an inversely proportional thing. If the show was actually exciting or interesting or controversial or showcased good music (the horror!) maybe it would only draw 200,000 viewers.
Brian
You always hope you’ll be surprised by actual music. It’s a circus and GooGoo was leading the parade. He/she is pitiful. One has to try to outdo the next by gimmicks. Music being great will stand up without all the crap!
I think that Hurricane Irene had the largest concentration of the American population, ie, the ENTIRE EAST COAST stuck inside their homes watching TV till the power went out. hahaha
This Vma’s SUCKED!!! I was very very disappointed. Come on Mtv what the hell happened to you guys? And a tribute to Britney Spears? Really?! I suggest you guys get a really good host next year and stick to what you guys do best…music! Stop all this Reality shows. The Real world was good enough.
Her tribute is long overdue! Mtv did a poor job excuting what could have been a great show. Britney deserved better!
it was pitbull who brought the ratings up
just check his youtube views..In this year .He has more views than gaga, Bieber, Beyonse, Spears together…
not that idiot.. r u kidding??
Agree with Ike…advertising started with Britney and then the Gaga promos came out. Britney brings the numbers and Gaga helped them climb even higher!…just wish the tribute to BSpears would have been longer!
is that what it was called, it was more like 2 seconds and then Britney introducing Beyonce performance. Mtv should be ashamed, they contiue to use Britney Spears knowing very well with her ratings come!