2010 MTV Movie Awards Draw 16.4 Million Viewers

Prior to the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, it was apparent that it would be an event dominated by The Twilight Saga, a film franchise that is heavily marketed to the female demographic. Promotional spots for the annual award show featured Twilight actors Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson. The network announced that much-anticipated trailers for the latest installments in the Twilight and Harry Potter franchises would be unveiled during the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

Despite their marketing efforts, MTV witnessed a slight ratings decrease from last year’s awards show. According to The Los Angeles Times, overall viewership totaled 16.4 million viewers while viewership on the main channel decreased from 5.3 million to 4.6 million.

There were many memorable moments that took place at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, including Tom Cruise’s dance-off with Jennifer Lopez and the kiss between actresses Sandra Bullock and Scarlett Johansson. However, the most memorable aspect of the awards show very well may have been the constant profanity. Censors failed to account for upwards of 100 profanities during the two-hour telecast.

The 2010 MTV Movie Awards were simulcast on VH1 and MTV2, but it faced stiff competition from Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, which earned a 10.9 overnight rating on ABC.