It was a night of high highs for artists like five-Grammy-winner Billie Eilish — and low lows, especially for the broadcast itself.
The 2020 Grammys (see the full list of winners here) netted a 5.4 share among adults 18-49 and 18.7 million viewers during its Sunday night broadcast from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The numbers are down by about 1.2 million from 2019, when the program saw a boost in viewers — 19.9 million pairs of eyeballs — after 2018’s particularly poor showing. It’s also a 4% drop in the key demo.
The numbers still show CBS winning a Sunday night flooded with repeats on other networks, with Grammy viewers peaking at 20.3 million between 9:30-9:45 p.m., according to CBS.
CBS preemptively warned that the metrics may be off, since Nielsen has stopped measuring the metered market numbers. As a result, the numbers only show how many people watched the program live.
Still, the ratings reflect a downward trend for the annual show, which just wrapped its 62nd year.
The show was an usually somber one, kicking off just hours after the death of Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter Gianna and seven other passengers aboard his private helicopter. Artists such as Lizzo and host Alicia Keys paid tribute to the late basketball great throughout the night.
Another emotional moment was singer Demi Lovato’s first performance since her 2018 overdose. The 27-year-old debuted her new song “Anyone” through tears.
And, in memory of Prince, Usher, Sheila E. and FKA Twigs performed a tribute medley — which didn’t quite land.
