Bruno Mars’ big night at the 60th Annual Emmy Awards generated plenty of controversy Sunday, but i did not generate interest from TV viewers.
In the key 18-49 demo, Sunday night’s Grammys telecast hit an all-time low, according to Nielsen, with a 5.9 rating. The show averaged 19.81 million total viewers, its lowest since 2008. That’s a 24% drop from the previous year, and the greatest year-to-year declines for the awards show since 2013.
This year’s ratings slide is more problematic than the one experienced five years ago, and should worry Grammys broadcaster CBS.
The 2013 Grammys suffered a 28% drop, the most precipitous in the last 25 years. It followed the 2012 Grammys, which took place one day after Whitney Houston died in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. With interest piqued by the unexpected death of one of music’s most decorated artists, a record 39.91 million people tuned in, the most for a Grammys telecast since 1984 and the second most ever.
A year later, the 2013 show fell to 28.38 million viewers and a 10.1 demo rating.
