BET Awards 2023 nabs top viewership spot with 3 million watchers

BET’s got quite a lot to celebrate. 

The BET Awards, also known as “Culture’s Biggest Night,” raked in high viewership totals for its 2023 show on Sunday, June 25. 

According to the network, the show reached 3 million viewers — an increase of 2% over last year’s viewership — across nine networks, including BET, BET Her, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Nick t Nite, TV Land and VH1. The celebration also dominated the social chart: With a total 6 million interactions and a social presence increase of over 100%, the show and its celebration of 50 years of hip-hop, was deemed one of the top-watched on social media. 

“The audiences have spoken,” Connie Orlando, BET EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, said. “Culture’s Biggest Night is now Hip Hop’s biggest night. We couldn’t have done it without our amazing production team and the talented group of artists who came together to give Hip Hop its flowers, and all the lovers of the culture who watched live that tuned in across every platform to make this year’s BET Awards 2023 another great success.”

To celebrate hip-hop’s 50th birthday, BET called on past and present music artists to perform some of their greatest hits. Miami’s Trina and Trick Daddy represented the South, The Sugarhill Gang and MC Lyte helped to put on for the ’80s, Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Fabolous and Ja Rule took us to 2000’s New York, and many more memorable moments took place.

“I am so proud of my team for delivering this powerful authentic, and comprehensive celebration that has resonated so deeply with artists, fans, and audiences,” Scott Mills, president and CEO of BET, said.

Fans can catch an encore presentation of the BET Awards 2023 on Thursday, June 29, at 10 p.m. ET.