In another indication of what seems to be America’s growing disaffection with award shows, ratings for ABC’s CMA Awards broadcast on Wednesday plummeted 34 percent from 2017, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The CMAs aren’t the only awards show to experience slumping ratings this year. The 2018 Academy Awards saw record low ratings, with just 26.5 million viewers tuning in, while the Grammys drooped by about 24% to 19.8 million viewers this year.
The three-hour CMA awards gala earned a 2.1 rating in adults 18-49 and drew 10.1 million viewers. That’s down from 2017 when the telecast generated a 3.2 rating and was watched by 14.3 million viewers. These figures represent an all-time low for the CMAs and come after the awards show increased viewership in 2017 by more than 2 million.
Despite the ratings slide, ABC still won the night, with Fox in second place with their drama “Empire” taking second place in the key adults 18-49 and NBC taking second place for the night in overall audience members.