Golden Globes Bets Don’t Pay Off, Ratings Drop to 8.66 Million Viewers

The Golden Globes’ latest bets didn’t pay off in ratings.

According to Nielsen’s panel + big data numbers, Sunday’s 83rd Golden Globes dropped to 8.66 million viewers. It was down from last year’s ceremony, which Nielsen said averaged around 9.3 million viewers. Meanwhile, VideoAmp data noted that last year’s Globes had 10.1 million viewers.

Despite the dip in viewership, CBS reports that the Globes had its most social show ever, with 42 million interactions, which is up 5% from last year.

Though the numbers are down, the Globes also went up against an NFL playoff game, with the New England Patriots topping the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the 82nd Golden Globes on CBS featured a Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos game as its lead-in.

The show had plenty of positives.

As ADWEEK previously wrote, the 2026 Golden Globes bet big on Nikki Glaser returning as host, with the comedian delivering another well-received monologue and creating viral sketches such as a Marty Supreme and Kpop Demon Hunters mashup.

#GoldenGlobes host #NikkiGlaser was fully committed to her mash-up of “Marty Supreme” and “KPop Demon Hunters” on Sunday night. Fran Drescher was…not.

“You have to stop singing, your voice is so annoying!” pic.twitter.com/A0KJB9Sw6n

— TheWrap (@TheWrap) January 12, 2026

In addition, the Globes added a new podcast category in its latest ceremony, which gave Amy Poehler the chance to make a hilarious acceptance speech, as her podcast, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, produced by Paper Kite Productions in conjunction with Spotify’s The Ringer, took the prize.

[embedded content]

However, the show also took some gambles that weren’t a hit with viewers.

Throughout the night, social media viewers criticized ad integrations from cryptocurrency-based prediction site Polymarket. Odds from the prediction site would often appear ahead of category announcements, sometimes spoiling the winners and prompting viewers to lament how gambling odds had infiltrated a show about art and entertainment.

In another widely-criticized move, the show had Marc Malkin, senior culture and events editor at Variety, and Entertainment Tonight host Kevin Frazier in announcer positions, where they regularly promoted the Polymarket prediction odds and talked over the footage of winners walking to the stage. Unfortunately, they often added relatively irrelevant comments, including speculating whether Timothée Chalamet would thank his partner, Kylie Jenner.

The show also oddly had UFC fighters come out as “security” to promote Paramount securing the media rights for the sport, but the bit ended quickly and didn’t provide further context.