2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards Sees 23% Rise in Viewers, 14% in the Demo

Looks like television viewers still enjoy a clip show?

On Monday, MTV announced that ratings for the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards saw a significant increase in viewership, both overall and in the key 18-49 demo, compared to the 2022 event.

A total of 2 million people watched the event on its various platforms, a 23% increase over the 1.6 million who checked it out last year. 1.45 million of those viewers were in the demo, a 14% uptick compared to last year’s 1.27 million. And ratings via simulcast went up 3% year over year.

And in case you’re wondering about less meaningful statistics, MTV says these viewers “consumed” a combined 521 million minutes, which is a 5% increase over last year’s 498 million.

There was even an 80% increase in the amount of individual votes for the various awards, to 77.7 million.

These viewership wins come despite the fact that the 2023 awards show was in effect nothing more than a clips episode. The original plan for a full-on awards ceremony broadcast was scuttled when host Drew Barrymore pulled out in solidarity with the WGA. Facing the possibility of other talent backing out and WGA members picketing somewhere cameras could pick them up, MTV canceled both the red carpet and the in-person ceremony.

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What aired instead was a hodgepodge of clips of memorable moments from past MTV Movie Awards ceremonies — including Jim Carrey accepting his award as Jim Morrison and the full 2010 performance by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg of “California Girl.”

The new awards themselves were handed out via pre-recorded messages of acceptance, effectively a throwback to the Zoom-TV aesthetic of the pandemic.

“The team and I are proud to have successfully pivoted and delivered on what our fans have come to expect from the MTV Movie & TV Awards – a memorable night filled with exclusive sneak peaks, irreverent categories and blockbuster moments that celebrate the best of film and TV over the past year. We look forward to coming back next year bigger than ever with our host Drew Barrymore,” MTV Movies and TV Awards executive producer Bruce Gillmer, who is Paramount’s president of music, music talent, programming and events, said.