Down year-over-year and fairly consistent from start-to-finish, this year’s American Music Awards broadcast offered nothing that could be considered an independently monstrous draw.
Like all three-hour telecasts, however, it did have its peaks and valleys. And the most notable peak involved performances from Iggy Azalea (with Charli XCX) and Lorde.
The 2014 AMAs reached highs in viewership (12.16) and adults 18-49 (4.0) during the 9-9:30PM half hour. In addition to Azalea’s “Fancy”-“Beg for It” medley and Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat,” the segment also featured Ariana Grande’s “Problem”-“Break Free” medley, Luke Bryan’s win for Favorite Male Country Artist and One Direction’s win for Favorite Pop/Rock Album.
While it scored the second-lowest half-hour viewership average (11.43 million), the 10-10:30PM half hour matched the 9PM segment’s 4.0 adults 18-49 rating. That block included part of One Direction’s “Night Changes,” Lil Wayne and Christina Milian’s “Start a Fire,” Nicki Minaj and Skylar Grey’s “Bed of Lies,” Taylor Swift’s “Award of Excellence” win and Fergie’s “LA Love (la la).”