CBS and MTV announced today that Van Toffler, the former MTV executive who helped turn the Video Music Awards into a pop culture staple, is returning to the franchise as executive producer through his company Gunpowder & Sky. Toffler will partner with Den of Thieves to produce the 2025 VMAs, which will air live for the first time on the CBS Television Network.
The show will broadcast live from UBS Arena on Sunday, Sept. 7 (8:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) and stream on Paramount+. A one-hour live pre-show will also air across Paramount Media Networks.
Under a new multi-year deal, Toffler and Gunpowder & Sky aim to expand the VMAs into a week-long multiplatform celebration of music and music videos. Leading up to the broadcast, MTV2, MTV Live and MTV Classic will go all-in on 24/7 music programming—spotlighting both current hits and classic videos. Past VMA winners and iconic MTV personalities will curate their “seven favorite videos of all time” as part of the campaign.
“We’re not just producing a show,” said Toffler. “We’re launching a celebration of music that spans one week, every screen and every generation.”
Toffler, who left MTV in 2015, is known for moments like Beyoncé’s pregnancy reveal and the Madonna/Britney/Christina kiss. Since launching Gunpowder & Sky, he’s helped develop genre-blending music content for Audible, Amazon, Spotify and YouTube, along with docs on artists like Sheryl Crow and Lil Peep.
CBS’ broadcast marks a major shift for the VMAs and comes after the 2024 show drew its largest audience in four years, with 66.7 million social interactions—its most ever.
CBS Bets Big on Live Music With VMAs Broadcast Deal
CBS airing the VMAs marks a significant programming pivot for the network, signaling a renewed investment in live music content aimed at younger audiences.
Historically, the VMAs were a cable-only affair, living on MTV and catering to a demo that’s increasingly fragmented across platforms. With linear ratings softening and streaming becoming the default, CBS is betting that event television still has pull, especially when tied to cultural moments with high social velocity.
The VMAs now join the Grammy Awards as part of CBS’s growing slate of music-forward tentpoles. But unlike the Grammys, which skew older and industry-facing, the VMAs offer more risk, edge, and viral potential. It’s a brand built on spectacle—perfectly engineered for TikTok, Twitter, and headline recaps.
The move also reflects the broader Paramount strategy of content synergy across platforms. MTV produces, CBS broadcasts, and Paramount+ streams. It’s a corporate triple-play, designed to maximize viewership and ad reach across Gen Z, millennials, and their nostalgia-driven older siblings.
As linear networks look to stay relevant in a streaming-first world, events like the VMAs offer a rare opportunity: unpredictable, must-watch moments that still get people talking the next morning.
As part of the expanded VMAs celebration, MTV will return to its roots with a full week of non-stop music videos — a rare move in recent years. Leading up to the September 7 awards show, which will air live on CBS for the first time (and simulcast on MTV and stream on Paramount+), the 24/7 video rollout will also extend across MTV2, Classic, and Live.
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