The Billboard Music Awards Moves From ABC To NBC

The awards show became available after its contract with ABC expired after the 2017 broadcast in May. I hear the field was competitive, with both traditional networks and digital platforms pursuing.

NBC had been looking to add a music awards show to its lineup. It launched the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2014 and aired it for two years though it couldn’t break through to establish a sizable footprint.

One of NBC’s selling points that likely helped it land the Billboard Music Awards is the fact that the network has year-round music-themed series franchises with The Voice and America’s Got Talent, in addition to The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live and Jennifer Lopez’s dance competition World Of Dance, which all feature musical performances, and the annual live musicals.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with the ‘Billboard Music Awards’ and dick clark productions to bring our mutual love of music and live programming together to showcase spectacular performances with the biggest names in music,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Reality Group, NBC Entertainment. “The Billboard charts have long been the industry standard of greatness, making this show the #1 destination for music artists.”

The exact length of NBC’s contract for the Billboard Music Awards has not been revealed but the show aired on ABC for 7 years, so the NBC pact is likely to be the same length or close to it. The agreement gives Dick Clark Prods. two awards shows on NBC where it also produces the Golden Globes. At ABC, the company has the AMAs and New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

After an early run on Fox until a 2007 cancellation, the Billboard Music Awards was resurrected in 2011 by Dick Clark Prods. on a new network, ABC. The show, which airs in May, has been a strong ratings performer with Live+same deliveries in line with such marquee awards franchises as the Primetime Emmy Awards and the American Music Awards.

“Bringing together the ‘Billboard Music Awards’ and NBC is a perfect partnership,” said Mike Mahan, President, dick clark productions. “We believe that pairing NBC’s enormous music and TV platform with the authority and legacy of the ‘Billboard Music Awards’ will be an extraordinarily powerful combination. We couldn’t be more excited.”

The Billboard Music Awards is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro, Mike Mahan, Mark Bracco, Barry Adelman and Robert Deaton are executive producers.

While rare, awards shows network switches are not unprecedented. The CMA Awards moved to ABC a decade ago after 33 years at CBS.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy