MTV VMAs Broadcast Starts 20 Minutes Late as Ravens Beat Cowboys 34-31

Q: How will home viewers get to experience Madonna's historic unaired opening performance from the 2026 VMAs?

Home viewers were expected to catch Madonna’s opening through the delayed VMAs telecast once CBS, MTV and Paramount+ joined the ceremony already in progress, but her full opening number was initially missed live because the networks stayed with NFL overtime. The clearest way for viewers to see the performance in full is on replay and streaming. Multiple event listings and network coverage indicated the 2026 VMAs would be available on demand on Paramount+ after the broadcast, with broader next-day access for subscribers, and available globally the following day on Paramount+ and MTV platforms. That means Madonna’s historic return to the VMA stage should be viewable there even if it was not carried live at the top of the broadcast. Reports from inside the theater confirm the performance did happen on time. Madonna opened the show with her first VMAs performance in 23 years, and separate live coverage said Sabrina Carpenter joined her for “Bring Your Love.” But because the live TV feed did not start until more than 20 minutes late, home audiences did not see that moment as it happened. CBS and MTV had not immediately explained on-air how they would handle the missed segment, so unless the networks later inserted a replay during the telecast, the practical way for viewers to experience it is via the show’s on-demand version and any official clips released by MTV, CBS or Paramount+ afterward.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Sep 28

CBS, MTV and Paramount+ began the 2026 VMAs shortly after 4:50 p.m. PT, more than 20 minutes after the planned 4:30 p.m. start.
The delay came because the late NFL game from Rio de Janeiro was still on air at showtime, with Baltimore and Dallas tied 31-31 before the Ravens won 34-31.
Inside Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, the ceremony started on time for the live audience, where Madonna opened with her first VMA performance in more than 20 years.
MTV filled the gap for home viewers with a Video Vanguard retrospective hosted by Donnie Wahlberg and a crawl saying the VMAs would 'begin shortly.'
The split start left TV viewers behind the in-room schedule, where Snoop Dogg's monologue and Lisa's best pop win had already happened before the broadcast caught up.