Music Videos Just Had Their Super Bowl Moment – Don’t Miss The Next

The 2025 VMAs proved what we’ve known all along: music videos belong on TV.

The show posted a 42% year-over-year surge, with 5.5 million viewers across CBS, MTV, and Paramount+, its best performance since 2019.

That’s the influence and impact of music videos. These aren’t “content” made to be lazily engaged with and fill feeds. These provide significant connections to fan-favorite artists and songs, as well as substantial statements from iconic creative visionaries.

Music videos command attention and fuel obsession. Because fans care, they watch, remix, and debate. They show up on prime time not just for spectacle, but because they’re emotionally invested.

And the VMAs translated that energy. That full-choir moment with Alex Warren? That was a cultural moment made possible by music videos – their reach, their resonance, their relevance.

Even up against a network juggernaut, music videos performed, going head-to-head with Sunday Night Football. Most shows would’ve been buried, but music videos gave people a reason to choose culture over sports competition.

Beyond the Broadcast

What happened on CBS was only the start. The real story played out across YouTube, where fans surged to Warner Music Group artist channels powered by UPROXX:

– Sombr: video views up +150%, from ~80M in a typical week to 200M+ weekly views

– Alex Warren: up +43%, hitting 25M+ weekly views as he took home Best New Artist

– Busta Rhymes: up +23%, climbing past 15M weekly views tied to his Visionary Award moment

These aren’t background bumps — they’re massive spikes in video consumption tied directly to cultural heat. The broadcast made headlines, but the viewership wave carried across platforms.

Why Brands Should Care

Music videos have become the new sports highlights (only better): short, high-impact, replayed endlessly, and commanding full-screen attention. On Connected TV, they turn the living room into a stadium of sound and visuals.

But unlike sports, music videos don’t follow a rigid schedule. They’re evergreen and breaking news at the same time, giving brands the chance to plug into culture every week, not just during a 17-game season.

WMG Artist Domination

The awards themselves reinforced it: Warner Music Group artists swept the night.
Song of the Year – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars “APT.”
Best New Artist – Alex Warren
Best Collaboration – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile”
Best Alternative – Sombr “Back to Friends”
Best Rock – Coldplay “All My Love”

These are the same superstar artists that anchor UPROXX’s premium CTV and YouTube inventory — the cultural gravity brands can tap into every week.

The Bigger Picture

Missed the VMAs? You didn’t miss the movement.

Music videos don’t happen once a year on CBS — they happen every day, every week, and they live forever. With UPROXX, brands don’t gamble on adjacency. They get guaranteed access to the Warner Music Group catalog — Bruno Mars, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Cardi B, Linkin Park, and more.

If sports own Sundays, music videos own culture the rest of the week. And with UPROXX, your brand gets front row access.