VMAs viewers frustrated as NFL game delays live broadcast

Viewers hoping to watch the start of the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards were met with frustration when a live NFL game preempted the broadcast on CBS. The awards ceremony was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. EST, with the network also streaming the event on Paramount+.

However, fans across the country found themselves watching the Cowboys vs. Ravens football game instead of the VMAs' opening performances. The official VMAs X account acknowledged the delay, stating, "Hold tight, the 2026 #VMAs will take off after the football game finishes. Live, coming up on CBS and streaming on Paramount+!"

This announcement was met with significant backlash from viewers. "I don’t give a f**k about the football game! Show me my VMAs!" one user wrote. Another expressed disappointment, "We paid 15 damn dollars to watch the MTV VMAs and @ParamountPlus still hasn't started the stream. WTF?"

Some questioned the network's decision-making, with one user wondering, "The VMAs really couldn't pay and override the NFL the one time? What the hell." Others shared similar sentiments, noting, "The VMAs already started and this damn football game is still on my screen." The situation was described as "ridiculous and beyond frustrating," with one post suggesting the show "Should have aired live immediately on MTV."

The awards show eventually began on CBS around 7:50 p.m. EST, approximately 20 minutes after its scheduled start time, by which point the initial performances had concluded and the first award had already been presented. The VMAs are being held at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles and are hosted by Snoop Dogg.