The 2015 BET Awards attracted 6.3 million total viewers on the main cable channel Sunday, down 20 percent from last year’s June 29 offering. Last night’s event grabbed an additional 200,000 viewers on sister channel Centric’s simulcast.
The near-four-hour telecast, hosted by “Black-ish” co-stars Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, ranked as cable’s top awards show among adults 18-49 and in total viewers this year.
In 2014, the Chris Rock-hosted awards show reached 7.9 million total viewers — up about 100,000 from the prior year. Last year’s total was good enough to mark the second-highest BET Awards ever, trailing only 2009’s show, which played out as a tribute to Michael Jackson.
Sunday’s primetime airing featured tributes to Smokey Robinson and Janet Jackson, as well as a Bad Boy Records reunion. Performers also included The Weeknd and Alicia Keys, the cast of “Empire,” Tori Kelly, Ciara, Robin Thicke, Meek Mill, Chris Brown, Jason DeRulo and Janelle Monae.
Click here for the complete list of winners from last night.
Stephen Hill, BET’s president of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s senior vice President of Specials, Music and News and Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s vice president of Specials, served as executive producers for the “BET Awards” 2015, along with Jesse Collins, chief executive officer of Jesse Collins Entertainment.