Categories: Entertainment News

Justin Bieber, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift Outdraw NKOTBSB, Miley at AMAs

With voting turned over to the fans, teen star Justin Bieber had no trouble cleaning up at Sunday’s American Music Awards presentation; his wins included Artist of the Year and Favorite Pop/Rock Artist.

And while his presence was not enough to help the ABC special avoid a double-digit decline from last year’s broadcast among adults 18-49, he also emerged as the top ratings draw on the show.

The 9-9:30PM portion of the show, which featured the closing moments of Katy Perry’s “Firework,” Bieber’s performance and Bon Jovi’s medley, scored the night’s best rating, a 4.7 with 12.96 million viewers. The subsequent half hour, which featured performances from P!nk, Ne-Yo and Taylor Swift, held fairly steady with a 4.6 rating and 12.33 million.

Granted, some credit for the aforementioned artists’ success belongs to the timeslot; the 9PM hour clearly represents ideal positioning for those after the biggest possible audience, especially within the young adult demographic. Still, there is no reason that 9PM should outdraw 9:30PM (the recent CMA Awards peaked from 9:30-10) and also no reason the hour should prove so dominant over 10PM, especially when the most-hyped acts of the show are performing in the final portion.

But the decline was notable for Sunday’s show. The 10:30PM portion, which culminated with the vastly-promoted New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys collaboration (NKOTBSB) and also included the final moments of Ke$ha’s number and the pairing of Carlos Santana and Gavin Rossdale, dipped to a 4.1 rating with 10.39 million viewers. The prior segment, which featured Christina Aguilera’s heavily-hyped “Burlesque” performance, as well as Train’s gig and the bulk of Ke$ha’s effort, averaged a 4.4 with 11.58 million.

Earlier in the night, the 8PM portion with a lengthy Rihanna opening, Enrique Iglesias’ performance and Miley Cyrus’ “Forgiveness and Love,” kicked off with a 3.7 and 10.91 million viewers. 8:30-9PM saw performances from Diddy-Dirty Money, Kid Rock and the Black Eyed Peas, as well as the beginning of Katy Perry’s showing. It averaged a 4.2 with 11.99 million viewers.

Overall, the awards posted a 4.3 with 11.69 million.

Brian Cantor

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002. Brian's reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader -- and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj. Contact Brian at brian.cantor[at]headlineplanet.com.

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Brian Cantor