The BET Awards may have posted an impressive uptick in viewership last year with its first virtual incarnation (as we reported here), but new reports reveal “Culture’s Biggest Night” was unable to continue that trajectory with their latest edition.
Despite aligning the star power of megawatt talent of Cardi B, H.E.R, Lil Nas X, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, and more on its most packed performance roster to date, their combined shine – thank to steep competition from televised U.S. Olympics programming – wasn’t enough to illuminate ratings tallies.
Video In-Article Ad (Desktop)Details inside:
Video In-Article Ad (Desktop)Viewership: 2.4 Million
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“…the 2021 BET Awards simulcast reached 2.4 million total viewers, down substantially from last year’s 3.7 million. That’s an all-time low since the iconic awards show started back in 2001.
Video In-Article Ad (Desktop)The showing follows similarly problematic ratings from other awards show staples, including the Academy Awards (i.e., the Oscars), the Grammy Awards, and the American Music Awards (AMAs), all of which hit ratings nadirs in 2021. Now, the BET Awards becomes the latest awards show to post all-time lows, raising more questions about the once-reliable awards format.”
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While BET’s main station drew in an audience of 1.7 million, it collected an additional 700,000 pair of eyes across its simulcasting sister ViacomCBS stations BET Her, MTV, MTV2, Logo, TV Land, and VH1 – making it one of Sunday night’s most-viewed programs (June 27).
Video In-Article Ad (Desktop)With viewership from BET Awards-related shows included (i.e. countdowns, etc), the year’s composite of BET Awards branded content saw the network post a total of 4.6 million viewers.
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In the 21 years of the BET award, they havent learned no beyonce and Jay-z no viewership. MTV gave lady Gaga the nonexistent trysexual award just to get viewership. They could’ve at lease gave beyonce some made up award to have her show up!
If This keeps happening, These networks are in trouble. The industry needs to find a way to make people tune in. Entertainment is loosing its allure. It’s a combination of social media & the celebrities they present just not being interesting enough.
I think American Music has peaked. The Mainstream artists are not bringing anything innovative.
Proud of people not watching Satanism. Pushing all this debauchery , I’m embarrassed by BET.
Idk why they don’t stream this s*** on TikTok and IG etc. It only makes sense cause that’s where all y’all are at
Or better yet let THE FANS VOTE ON AWARDS IN REAL TIME
how hard is this? All these motherfukkers need to be fired
Great point. Shows should be streamed on those platforms. I also think instead of the overlooked talent complaints, the voting should be up to fans instead of the industry politics voting panels.
Pop culture is DEAD.
Im happy to have lived through the reigns of acts like Gaga, Beyonce, Rihanna and Katy.
I’m not tuning in to watch City Girls or Lil Nas if thats what yall want me to do lmfao. I would rather watch paint dry.
Flopppppp!
Nicki Minaj performed?
No one cares about award shows anymore especially not in the midst of a global pandemic. We have better things to concern ourselves with.
BET OWNED BY WHITE MAN. UHHH
This is not a story, every award show every year posts it’s lowest viewership numbers. Don’t we all just watch clips the next day anyway. Who can sit for 2-3 hours to watch a show that has commercials.
A song used to go something like “Video Killed The Radio Star.” Now, it’s “Streaming Killed The TV Star.” Nothing to do with quality – it’s just prime TV content was minutely hawked by committed groups while, nowadays, girls twerk for their dads.