Although their ratings are rumoured to have plummeted, the VMA's did incredibly well in the social media. This year's show is officially the second most social TV event of all time with 12.8 million social media comments, only behind this year's Grammy's. It's even surpassed Superbowl! And it defeated last year's VMA's which only got 3 million social media comments.

http://i48.tinypic.com/97oarb.png

I read somewhere that the olympic opening ceremony had over 9m tweets.

Maybe that's just American social events.

This year's VMA's had 12.5 million tweets and 200k facebook comments, so I think it's valid to say it's the 2nd most social TV show of all time.

http://thenextweb.com/asia/2012/07/3...as-sina-weibo/

If it's 119 million, then it's obviously on a whole another level. I got confused though, because in your first comment, you said :
Anyway, you're right, it's probably just about American TV events. Can't wait to find out what the actual ratings of the VMA's were though.

I did read 9m tweets from twitter.

I then googled it just to make sure and found the Chinese numbers which as you say takes it into a whole new ball game.

One can tell the show was not a success just by checking the US iTunes chart. The only artists who benefited from the exposure are P!nk ('Blow Me' was at a little out of the top 10 and now it's #6) and Alicia Keys ('Girl On Fire wasn't doing well before the performance and now it's in the low top 10).

All the other performers are exactly where they were before the VMA's and Rihanna's 'Cockiness' remix (the only new single premiered at the VMA's) is currently not in the top 50.

^ Frank Ocean benefited too.

There's definitely bare minimum buzz around the show. Media outlets seem to be universally slamming how uneventful and dull it was. At least most are praising some of the performances, though. Showstopping they weren't, but they were good.

Billboard posted an article about the VMA's : 15 Things we didn't see on TV

http://www.billboard.com/features/mt...07941622.story

Some of them are dull, but some are entertaining. Especially Rihanna skipping the press and going home as soon as the show ended and Nicki arriving late, probably missing half of Rihanna's performance (which might explain Rihanna's facial expression when Nicki won 'Best Female' )

She retweeted a picture of her with Rihanna and Katy Perry on twitter she wouldn't have done that if she fell out with her I think it was all just rumours

Oh dear. The ratings were true. Over 50% drop.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...gs-2012-368480

A few of those were interesting, some amusing but most were uninteresting. I could've guessed that people would cheer deafeningly for 1D then less so for The Wanted.

Thanks for posting, I did enjoy the read.

6.1 million viewers!!! Oh dear! Less than half as much as last year's show and their lowest ratings since 2007! Even the BET awards managed to get 7.5 million viewers if I'm not mistaken!

What could have possibly gone THAT wrong? The absence of A-list celebrities? The small number of performers? The low level of the performances? The fact that it aired on a Thursday?

Anyway, I HOPE they got the message. I'm going to need a major return next year.

The absence of real artists is the problem... it was a room filled with corporate marketing machines aimed at the kids.

Well, unfortunately this is what the VMA's are. I'm not a fan either, but there's plenty other good music about. Especially outside the charts!

Does anyone know where I can watch the full award's show I missed it !

Its repeated on MTV (Sky Channel 126) dont know what other platforms its on tho.