Paramount is pulling out all the stops to make the 2025 VMAs bigger than ever, including putting the MTV broadcast on CBS for the first time, having an NFL lead-in from the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, and bringing in acts such as Lady Gaga, Alex Warren, and Sabrina Carpenter.
But even with all that, the brands might be the performers of the night.
For the Sept. 7 show, hosted by LL Cool J, Paramount has lined up 30 advertisers (19 of which are new), eight custom marketing partners, and 145 unique pieces of branded content across its platforms. The company is also utilizing new programmatic streaming units that embed show footage in ads across social and will be showcasing 11 minutes and 15 seconds of in-show branded content—eclipsing the 8 minutes of branded content the show had in 2024.
According to John Halley, Paramount’s ad sales chief, the brand enthusiasm stems from the power of live events, which is “at an all-time high” and saw strong demand in the upfront.
“The reality is that if you had a sports portfolio, if you had a big tentpole portfolio, [advertisers] were diving in on that,” Halley said. “And actually, stage one of the upfront moved earlier and much faster than we thought because of those coveted properties.”
But even with the additional branded content, don’t expect the VMAs to feel like a sales pitch. According to Matthew Newcomb, SVP of activation and integrated marketing at Paramount Brand Studio, the story came first.
“The brand integration and partnership component starts at the same time the show development does. It’s no longer backing into places to advertise,” Newcomb said. “We’re co-developing the custom creative in parallel with the show editorial.”
With organic integrations in mind, the creative executions include a one-of-a-kind MrBeast aerial stunt in the pre-show, a mysterious integration with a presenter that blends the commercial into the show, and Sabrina Carpenter teaming up with Dunkin’ on a new campaign.
Here’s what to expect:
