The 18th annual MTV Video Music Awards delivered its second largest audience on Thursday, and ranked as the most-watched program on cable since January.
According to Nielsen Media Research,
Thursday's show averaged 10.76 million viewers, up 9% from last year but down 10% from the record-setting pace of 1999 (11.94 million). MTV was Thursday's most-watched primetime network, averaging
about 1 million viewers more than runner-up ABC (9.80m).
The huge turnout also makes the kudocast the most-watched cable program since the TNT Western "Crossfire Trail" on Jan. 21.