Culture’s Biggest Night, The “BET AWARDS” 2021, Dominates the Award Show Arena as the Best Performing Awards Show This Year Among P18-49 with 2.4 Million Total Viewers Tuning In Across Seven ViacomCBS Nets on Sunday, June 27

Rhea-AI Summary

The 2021 BET Awards, aired on June 27, showcased Black excellence and achieved remarkable viewership, becoming the #1 Cable Awards Show among P18-49 for the season. With 2.4 MM Total Viewers and over 4.6 MM total viewers across all networks, it outperformed other awards shows, securing the title of #1 Most Social Show on ALL of TV. The event garnered 72M views across BET Digital, marking an 11% increase from the previous year. Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, the ceremony featured a record number of performances, celebrating the cultural contributions of Black artists.

Positive

• BET Awards achieved 2.4 MM Total Viewers P2+, solidifying its position as the #1 Cable Awards Show among P18-49.
• Overall viewing across ViacomCBS networks exceeded 4.6 MM Total Viewers P2+.
• The event garnered 72M views across BET Digital, representing an 11% increase compared to last year.
• BET Awards ranked as the #1 Most Social Show on ALL of TV and led in social interactions by 83% year-over-year.

Negative

• None.

Culture’s biggest night, the "BET AWARDS" 2021, celebrated Black excellence and again raised the bar for award shows in creativity, ingenuity, and innovation. The LIVE award show premiered Sunday, June 27, solidified its position as the #1 Cable Awards Show among P18-49 for the 2021 broadcast season and is now the best performing award show with impressions this year*. The "BET AWARDS" 2021 drew 2.4 MM Total Viewers P2+ (EDAC), as it was simulcast LIVE across seven ViacomCBS networks including BET Her, MTV, MTV2, Logo, TV Land, and VH1, 1.7 MM Total Viewers P2+ tuning in on BET alone.* With over 8 hours of “BET AWARDS” related content including, “The Countdown to BET Awards” (719K P2+) and “DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic: BET Awards Edition” (1.1M P2+), the network drew over 4.6 MM total Viewers P2+ (EDAC) and 3.7 MM Total Viewers P2+ on BET alone.**

Taraji P. Henson hosts the 2021 "BET AWARDS" - Photo credit: BET/Paras Griffin

Filled with non-stop exhilarating moments, the special secured the #1 Most Social Show on ALL of TV. Outperforming the Oscars and the Golden Globes, the “BET Awards” 2021 was the best performing telecast on BET Digital ever. Fans worldwide were immersed on multiple screens garnering over 72 M views across BET Digital, up +11 % from last year’s coverage, and up +31% from 2019.***

The 2021 "BET AWARDS" social and digital highlights include***:

• 72M views to date across BET Digital, up +11% from last year’s coverage, and up +31% from 2019. It was the best “BET Awards” ever on BET Digital.
• #1 most watched TV show on social (6/27/21).
  • 12.4M social views, up +40% year-over-year.
• #1 most social program across TV (6/27/21).
  • #1 Most Social Cable awards show year-to-date (1/1/21-6/26/21).
  • 10.2M social interactions, growing +83% year-over-year and up +64% from 2019.
• #BETAwards trended on Twitter in the #1 spot consecutively for 5 hours worldwide.

“Last year, we proudly did the unthinkable producing the first official awards show amid a global pandemic while pushing our creative boundaries,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. “This year, we worked tirelessly to safely deliver an award show unlike any other that not only exceeded our expectations but continues to illustrate and celebrate the beauty and excellence of Black culture. And we did this with a live fully vaccinated audience and all-star lineup of talent that trusted us with their creative vision and biggest moments.”

“We are thrilled with the remarkable success and viewership of the BET Awards,” said BET President Scott Mills. “We have been at the forefront of turning our signature programming events into massive cultural entertainment touchpoints that authentically celebrate the Black community as no other brand can.”

An additional encore viewing of the 2021 "BET AWARDS" aired immediately following the Post-show at 12:50 AM EDT. Fans can catch an additional airing Tuesday, June 29 at 8 PM ET and Saturday, July 3 at 8 PM ET.

BET honored an incredible and inspiring lineup of artists, entertainers and cultural icons across more than 20 categories at The “BET AWARDS” 2021. The iconic show, hosted by Academy Award^®-nominated and Golden Globe^®-winning actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson, aired live at 8 pm ET/PT on BET on Sunday, June 27, with a fully vaccinated audience. This year’s extraordinary show highlighted the absolute best in entertainment and culture with stunning performances and appearances by the biggest names across television, film, and music.

The “BET AWARDS,” which has become synonymous with powerful Black talent and social commentary, continues to spotlight and celebrate the artists and creators of tomorrow, making the ceremony one of the most news-provoking and talked-about broadcasts year after addition, the awards proclaimed it as the “Year of the Black Woman” to celebrate and honor their immense impact on the culture. The ceremony was an unforgettable celebration of Black culture, love, joy, and pride.

With its highest number of musical acts ever the show featured performances by Andra Day, Busta Rhymes, City Girls, DaBaby, DJ Khaled, Griselda, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan, Kirk Franklin, Lil Baby, Lil Buck and Jon, Lil Durk, Lil Kim, Lil Nas X, MC Lyte, Megan Thee Stallion, Mereba, Method Man, Michael K. Williams, Migos, Monie Love, Moneybagg Yo, Rapsody, Roddy Ricch, Swizz Beatz, The Lox, Tone Stith, Tyler The Creator and more. Ashanti, Chloe Bailey, Ciara, Crystal Renee Hayslett, DJ Cassidy, Ebony Obsidian, Eva Marcille, Issa Rae, Jennifer Hudson, Jill Scott, KJ Smith, Lena Waithe, Marsai Martin, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Michelle Buteau, Michelle Mitchenor, Mignon, Mj Rodriguez, Naomi Campbell, Novi Brown, Regina Hall, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Saweetie, Sevyn Streeter also made a special appearance at the award show.

For the latest “BET AWARDS” 2021 news and updates, please visit BET.com/BETAwards.

The “BET Awards” 2021 is Executive Produced by Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET and Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

For photos of the red carpet, backstage, and performances, go to the “BET AWARDS” 2021 dedicated press room at www.BETpressroom.com.

*Source: BET Awards simulcast had least P18-49 % imps decline vs. prior installment among competitive tentpoles in 2021
**Source: Nielsen (Live+SD) | Total BET Awards related programming includes Pre-show, BET Awards & BET Awards. (duration weighted imps), Pass the Mic Post-show, and BET Awards Encore (based on Nielsen Fasties) | Cumulative sum of average impressions on BET/EDAC nets as referred
***Source: YouTube Analytics, Conviva, Tubular, ListenFirst, Abode Analytics, Talkwalker Social Content Ratings, Trends24; 1/1/21-6/27/21

ABOUT BET:

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”

The “BET Awards” is one of the most-watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT

Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE’s film development projects which could include Viacom’s film entities such as Paramount Players. The award-winning and critically acclaimed television that JCE has produced includes miniseries—The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story; scripted series—American Soul and Real Husbands of Hollywood; children’s series—Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices; award shows—BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards, ABFF Honors and Soul Train Awards; specials—John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales I Be Knowin’, Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine; as well as competition/game shows—Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares, Nashville Squares and Rhythm & Flow. Jesse Collins, founder and CEO of the company, is the executive producer of all programming. He is also a co-executive producer for the iconic Grammy Awards. Most recently, he was executive producer of The 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show and produced The 2021 Academy Awards. Go to jessecollinsent.com for more information on the company.

Follow us @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210629006110/en/

FAQ

What were the viewership numbers for the BET Awards 2021?

The BET Awards 2021 drew 2.4 million total viewers and over 4.6 million total viewers across all networks.

How did the BET Awards 2021 perform on social media?

The event became the #1 Most Social Show on ALL of TV with 12.4 million social views, up 40% year-over-year.

When did the BET Awards 2021 take place?

The BET Awards 2021 aired live on June 27, 2021.

What is the significance of the BET Awards among cable shows?

The BET Awards is recognized as the #1 Cable Awards Show among P18-49 and is the most-watched awards program among African-Americans.

What were the highlights of the BET Awards 2021?

Highlights included a record number of performances, with numerous top artists participating and an overarching theme celebrating the impact of Black culture.