Golden Globes 2026 TV Ratings Slightly Decline
The 2026 Golden Globes saw a drop in viewership compared to the previous year. The awards, broadcast on CBS, averaged 8.66 million viewers, a decline of approximately 7% from 9.27 million in 2025. This marks the second consecutive year of declining ratings for this prominent event.
Viewing Trends Over the Years
The first Golden Globes airing on CBS in 2024 attracted 9.47 million viewers. Since then, the audience numbers have decreased yearly:
- 2024: 9.47 million viewers
- 2025: 9.27 million viewers
- 2026: 8.66 million viewers
Interestingly, Nielsen’s calculations for 2025 did not include its new big data component, which may have affected those figures. The 2026 broadcast reached a total of 18 million viewers who watched at least six minutes of the program.
Competition and Broadcast Conditions
This year, the Golden Globes faced stiff competition from an NFL wild card playoff game on NBC, which attracted nearly 29 million viewers across various platforms. Last year’s awards coincided with the NFL’s regular season finale, which saw a similar audience of approximately 28.5 million.
Due to a lack of a late-afternoon NFL game as a lead-in, CBS could not leverage that audience this time, contributing to the decline in ratings.
Social Media Interaction
Despite the drop in television viewers, the Golden Globes achieved significant engagement online. The show generated 42 million social media interactions, marking a 5% increase from the previous year. This is the highest level of social engagement for the awards to date.
Notably, host Nikki Glaser’s opening monologue garnered about 14 million views on social media platforms within 36 hours post-broadcast. Additionally, Entertainment Tonight’s red carpet coverage attracted 3.4 million viewers, adding to the event’s visibility.
Production and Ownership Information
The Golden Globes are produced by Dick Clark Productions, which is owned by Penske Media Eldridge. This joint venture involves Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge, which also owns The Hollywood Reporter.
