Grammy viewership figures hit new low
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Early numbers from Nielsen suggest that 8.8 million viewers tuned in to broadcaster CBS.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES - The 63rd Grammy Awards on Sunday was the lowest-rated in the history of the music awards show, despite powerhouse performances by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles, among other big names.
Early numbers from Nielsen suggest that 8.8 million viewers tuned in to broadcaster CBS and the show had a 2.1 rating among adults aged 18 to 49.
Out-of-home viewing, which has not been tallied, will likely bump that total up, but final figures will probably show that the telecast drew only about half of its 2020 audience.
Last year's Grammys, the biggest music awards in the industry and held in January before the pandemic, had 18.69 million viewers and a final rating of 5.4.
The show also did not draw as many viewers as another CBS broadcast two Sundays ago - Oprah Winfrey's bombshell interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle - which had 17.8 million viewers tuning in.
The steep declining figures for the Grammys echoed those of other awards shows this season, including the Golden Globes, CMA Awards and American Music Awards.
However, according to CBS, this year's Grammy Awards - dominated by women in all the major categories - scored the biggest awards show audience thus far.
On a brighter note, it was the most-streamed Grammy show ever with 83 per cent more live streams compared to last year.
