Relocating the Radio Disney Music Awards to a new night and weekend did not help from a live+same-day ratings standpoint.
This year’s ceremony actually drew a markedly smaller audience than last year’s show.
According to live+same-day data posted by Showbuzz, Saturday’s 2018 RDMA broadcast drew 1.28 million overall viewers.
Last year’s show, which aired on a Sunday, posted a 1.70 million viewer figure. At the time, that figure was the lowest recorded for the annual Disney Channel awards show.
This year’s installment was also down (though still solid from a competitive standpoint) in most key youth and young adult demographics.
In addition to moving to a new night, the 2018 RDMA moved to a new part of the year. Previous iterations of the ceremony aired in late April.
