Golden Globes Ratings Dip to 8.7 Million in 2026

The 83rd annual Golden Globes ceremony drew an average of 8.7 million viewers during its Sunday night broadcast on CBS. This viewership figure, as measured by Nielsen, represents the show's third consecutive year airing on the network.

While maintaining a substantial audience, the 2026 ceremony experienced a 6% decline compared to the previous year's 9.3 million viewers. This continues a pattern of modest erosion in viewership that began with the 2025 broadcast, which itself had posted a 2% decrease from the year prior.

The 83rd annual Golden Globes reached an average of 8.7 million viewers on Sunday night. This measurement was conducted by Nielsen, the industry standard for television audience tracking.

The ceremony marked the third consecutive year that the Golden Globes have aired on CBS, establishing a consistent broadcast partnership. However, the latest figures show a measurable decline from recent performance.

Key viewership metrics include:

• 2026: 8.7 million average viewers
• 2025: 9.3 million average viewers
• Year-over-year change: -6%

The 2025 ceremony had already experienced a 2% decrease from the preceding year, indicating a gradual downward trend in audience size over multiple broadcast cycles.

The Golden Globes broadcast on CBS occurred during a competitive television landscape, with the ceremony facing direct competition from NFL programming. Sunday night sports broadcasts consistently draw large audiences, creating a challenging environment for awards shows seeking viewership.

The third year of the CBS partnership represents a stable network relationship for the ceremony, which has historically moved between networks. This consistency allows for strategic planning and promotional support, though audience fragmentation across streaming platforms continues to challenge traditional broadcast metrics.

The 6% decline from 9.3 million to 8.7 million viewers suggests that while the ceremony maintains a core audience, it faces headwinds in expanding or even maintaining its reach against competing entertainment options.

The current viewership pattern reveals a multi-year softening of audience engagement with the Golden Globes broadcast. The trajectory shows:

1. Pre-2025: Baseline viewership established
2. 2025 Ceremony: 9.3 million viewers (-2% from prior year)
3. 2026 Ceremony: 8.7 million viewers (-6% from 2025)

This pattern of declining viewership mirrors broader industry challenges facing traditional linear television events. Awards ceremonies have struggled to maintain audience levels in an era dominated by on-demand streaming content and social media highlights.

Despite these challenges, the 8.7 million viewer figure still represents a significant national audience for a single-night entertainment event, demonstrating the enduring cultural relevance of the Golden Globes brand.

CBS's continued partnership with the Golden Globes for a third consecutive year signals the network's commitment to the ceremony as valuable programming content. Despite the viewership decline, the event provides a major entertainment showcase for the network.

The 6% drop to 8.7 million viewers may influence future negotiations and programming strategies. Networks typically evaluate whether awards ceremonies deliver sufficient advertising revenue and brand prestige relative to their time slot investment.

However, the ceremony's ability to attract nearly nine million viewers in a competitive environment demonstrates that linear broadcast still commands substantial real-time audiences for major cultural events, even as overall television viewership fragments across platforms.

The 8.7 million viewer figure for the 83rd Golden Globes represents both a measurable challenge and a testament to enduring broadcast value. The 6% year-over-year decline continues a trend that began in 2025, suggesting structural rather than isolated factors at play.

Future ceremonies will need to navigate the competitive landscape of Sunday night television while finding new ways to engage audiences across multiple platforms. The ceremony's ability to maintain nearly nine million viewers despite these challenges indicates that the Golden Globes brand remains a significant cultural touchpoint.

Key takeaways include the stability of the CBS partnership, the ongoing challenge of audience fragmentation, and the resilience of live event programming in an increasingly on-demand media environment.