Golden Globes Hit 8.7 Million Viewers: Hollywood Parties On, NFL Looms Large

The Golden Globes are back in the cultural conversation, champagne glasses clinking, celebrities oversharing and social media doing what it does best, judging everyone in real time. This year’s ceremony pulled in 8.7 million viewers, a respectable showing that proves the Globes still have some sparkle, even as live TV ratings remain under constant pressure.

For an awards show competing with playoff-bound NFL football and an audience increasingly glued to streaming, that number tells a bigger story about where televised events stand in 2026.

Broadcast on CBS, the Golden Globes leaned into what they’ve always done best: a looser vibe, a room full of stars who actually look like they’re having fun, and a host unafraid to poke the bear. The result was a ceremony that felt livelier than many of its awards-season counterparts, even if the Nielsen numbers dipped slightly compared to last year.

The 8.7 million viewer tally marks a modest decline year over year, but context matters. NFL games remain the final boss of television ratings and going head-to-head with football is rarely kind to anything wearing a tux. Against that backdrop, the Golden Globes didn’t collapse, they held their ground. That’s more than can be said for plenty of other once-mighty live broadcasts.

The ratings reflect a broader trend rather than a failure of the show itself. Awards ceremonies no longer live or die by same-night viewership alone. Clips, viral moments and next-day discourse are now baked into the success equation. And the Globes delivered on that front, generating plenty of online chatter thanks to buzzy wins, sharp monologues and the occasional awkward acceptance speech that will live forever on the internet.

There’s also the matter of identity. Since its move to CBS, the Golden Globes have been trying to remind viewers why they’re different from the Oscars or Emmys. The casual energy, the dinner-party chaos and the TV-and-film mashup still make it a unique stop on the awards circuit one that feels more like a Hollywood hangout than a corporate presentation.

So yes, Golden Globes hit 8.7 million viewers, and while that may not scream “ratings juggernaut,” it signals stability in an era where stability is rare. The Globes remain relevant, watchable, and meme-ready, three things modern TV desperately needs. If the show continues to sharpen its tone and embrace what makes it messy and fun, those numbers might just have room to grow. And if not, at least we’ll always have the jokes, the gowns, and the glorious chaos that keeps us tuning in.