The 2026 VMAs got a delayed start on TV screens due to the Baltimore Ravens vs. Dallas Cowboys game going late, with the awards broadcast running on a 22-minute delay despite continuing on schedule in person.
At what was scheduled to be the ceremony’s 7:30 p.m. ET start time on CBS on Sunday (Sept. 27), viewers instead saw the final moments of the NFL face-off, which appeared to be headed toward overtime as the Texas team seemed poised to score a field goal that would’ve tied up the score from 34-31. The Ravens ended up holding onto their three-point lead, but the fourth quarter bled considerably into the VMAs’ opening programming nonetheless.
“Hold tight, the 2026 #VMAs will take off after the football game finishes 🚀✨ Live, coming up on CBS & streaming on Paramount+!” the VMAs wrote in a post on its X account at 7:33 p.m. ET.
Eventually, viewers saw Madonna’s show-opening performance, featuring cameos from Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, sombr, Julia Garner and Seth Rogen — a full 22 minutes after the audience on site at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Many viewers at home expressed confusion as to why their screens were showing football instead of the VMAs, however, with one person writing on X, “are the #VMAs starting late or is my paramount app pulling up the ravens game on accident??? or is it a secret third options.”
“This is ridiculous and beyond frustrating. Should have aired live immediately on MTV,” another viewer wrote, while a third posted, “we better not be missing anything.”
Others expressed plans to cancel their subscriptions to Paramount+, on which the VMAs streamed live.
Billboard has reached out to the VMAs for comment.
Despite being a little less “live” than expected, the broadcast of the VMAs continued on as planned after the delay. This year is set to be a memorable one, with Taylor Swift expected to premiere her “Patient Zero” music video at some point during the ceremony as well as accept the first-ever artist director of the year award. Nirvana is set to be honored with the Video Vanguard honor, and the video of the year prize is as competitive as ever in 2026, with Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Madonna and GENER8ION all nominated.
