The ratings for the 2018 VMAs were the lowest ever

MTV’s original awards program failed to secure an audience.

August 21, 2018
The ratings for the 2018 VMAs were the lowest ever Madonna in the press room at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. August 20, 2018.   ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images

The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards went down on Monday night, and all the important stuff that happened and all the great outfits didn't translate into great ratings for the awards show. In fact, this year's edition had the lowest ratings in its history, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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The show was watched by 4.87 million viewers across eight Viacom-owned channels, including MTV (the ratings for a ninth network, TV Land, were not available). That's down from the VMA's previous all-time low, secured in 2017, with 5.36 million viewers. The show's target demographic of 18-34 suffered dropped by 47% compared to the previous year.

Read The FADER's very aptly named essay "The VMAs took place in a world that no longer needs or wants them" here.

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The ratings for the 2018 VMAs were the lowest ever