Key Takeaways
- Award shows like the Golden Globes continue to dominate entertainment headlines and social media, with 10.1 million viewers and 40 million social media impressions.
- The majority of viewers (20%) watch major awards shows live from start to finish, while others (19%) tune in live more casually or follow through highlights and clips.
- The Golden Globes are increasingly viewed as a pop-culture moment, with 42% of respondents enjoying the show more for the fashion and social moments than the awards themselves.
- Awards shows offer a shared experience and unpredictability, with 38% of viewers using a second screen while watching and 24% actively engaging socially.
- The familiar rhythm of awards shows, with categories, envelopes, winners, and reactions, makes them easy to experience across multiple screens and in fragments.
Introduction to Award Season
In a media landscape dominated by on-demand streaming and personalized feeds, live television might seem like a fading idea. However, award shows like the Golden Globes continue to captivate audiences and dominate entertainment headlines. The Golden Globes 2025 telecast drew an estimated 10.1 million viewers across broadcast and streaming platforms, making it one of the most-watched entertainment award nights of the season. The ceremony also generated around 40 million social media impressions on show night, with total engagement up more than 124% year over year. This highlights the significant cultural pull of award shows, which now live as much online as they do on air.
The Evolution of Awards Culture
A recent survey of 2,000 U.S. respondents by Mecca Bingo suggests that while viewing styles have changed, engagement has not disappeared. More than 20% of respondents say they still watch major awards shows live from start to finish, treating the night as an event. Another 19% tune in live more casually, while almost 26% primarily follow awards shows through highlights and clips. This shift towards a more flexible viewing experience is reflected in the way people consume award shows, with many using multiple screens and engaging socially during the broadcast. The result is an experience that rarely lives on just one screen, with viewers able to dip in and out, half-watch, scroll, or chat, without ever feeling lost.
The Appeal of the Golden Globes
When asked which words best describe the Golden Globes, the most common answers were "entertaining" (29%) and "glamorous" (28%), closely followed by "a social event" (25%). Attitudes reinforce that shift toward spectacle, with 42% of respondents saying they enjoy the Globes more for the fashion and social moments than the awards themselves. The red carpet, celebrity moments, unexpected wins, and speeches that instantly become memes remain central to the appeal of the Golden Globes. Rather than being seen purely as a traditional ceremony, the Golden Globes are increasingly viewed as a pop-culture moment, something people experience not just by watching the broadcast, but by participating in the wider conversation across platforms.
The Role of Second Screens
Streaming has given viewers control, but it has also removed one thing television still does best, which is shared experience. Awards shows offer unpredictability, with viewers not just watching to see who wins, but also for what might happen. The survey found that 38% of viewers use a second screen while watching awards shows, while 24% actively engage socially and 14% post or comment during the broadcast itself. For many, Golden Globes night is as much about reaction as result, with viewers able to share their thoughts and opinions in real-time. This highlights the importance of social media in the awards show experience, with platforms like Twitter and Instagram providing a space for viewers to engage with each other and with the show itself.
The Comfort of Familiarity
Many entertainment formats, such as game shows and video games, rely on anticipation followed by payoff. They are built around clear segments, recurring beats, and moments of suspense that resolve quickly. Awards shows follow the same familiar rhythm: categories, envelopes, winners, reactions. In an age of infinite choice, that predictability can feel comforting, allowing viewers to dip in and out, half-watch, scroll, or chat, without ever feeling lost. This helps explain why awards ceremonies adapt so well to modern viewing habits, with their structure making them easy to experience across multiple screens, in fragments, or through highlights, while still feeling part of a single shared event.
The Enduring Appeal of Awards Shows
Attention now looks different from what it once did, with awards shows shifting from appointment television to a modern ritual. They are something people are more likely to fold into relaxed nights at home rather than sit down to formally watch. Rather than competing with modern habits, awards shows have absorbed them, becoming less about sitting still and more about taking part: watching, posting, reacting, catching up, sharing. In a fragmented media world, the ability to pull people toward the same moment, even in different ways, remains powerful. It is why, year after year, the Golden Globes still find themselves at the center of the entertainment conversation, with their unique blend of glamour, spectacle, and unpredictability continuing to captivate audiences around the world.
Methodology
To uncover award show attitudes, Mecca Bingo conducted a nationwide survey of 2,000 U.S. respondents in December 2025. The survey is nationally representative of age (21+), gender, and state, with 58% of respondents female and 42% male. The average age of the respondents was 36 years. The survey provides valuable insights into the viewing habits and attitudes of awards show fans, highlighting the enduring appeal of these events in a rapidly changing media landscape.
