AWARDS/DIGITAL/MEDIA: Viewers abandon MTV Video Music Awards

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Ratings for the MTV Video Music Awards plunged 31% among viewers in the cable network's target demographic, those aged 12-34.

Nearly 3.9 million viewers in that age group tuned in for Thursday's 23rd annual event at Radio City Music Hall in New York, still enough to beat all other channels for the night in that demo.

The total viewership, 5.8 million, tumbled 27% from last year, and represents almost half of the audience the show drew on MTV in 2002.

But online, MTV broke its own record for the most single day streams for its broadband platform, Overdrive, with 3.9 million. MTV's last Overdrive high was reached the day after last year's awards show, with 3.3 million.