The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards are set to bring one of music’s biggest nights to Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27. For Latino fans across the United States, the ceremony is a prime-time opportunity to follow major performances, awards and pop-culture moments live. Hosted by Snoop Dogg, this year’s show will air coast to coast from the Peacock Theater. Whether you are watching from Miami, Houston, Chicago, New York or Los Angeles, here is the complete guide to the VMAs start time, TV schedule and streaming options.
2026 MTV Video Music Awards Start time and TV schedule
The 2026 MTV VMAs begin at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time on Sunday, September 27. The live broadcast is scheduled to run until 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT, so viewers in the Central Time zone, including cities such as Dallas, Houston and Chicago, can tune in at 6:30 p.m. CT. The awards ceremony will air live nationwide on CBS and will be simulcast on MTV.
For Spanish-speaking viewers in the U.S., checking your local CBS and MTV listings ahead of time is the easiest way to avoid missing the start of the show. The event will broadcast live from Los Angeles, meaning it airs simultaneously across the country rather than following a delayed regional schedule. In other words, viewers on the East Coast should be ready at 7:30 p.m., while audiences in California and across the West Coast can watch beginning at 4:30 p.m. local time.
How to watch the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards
Fans can watch the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards live on CBS or MTV through a cable, satellite or live-TV streaming package that carries either channel. Paramount+ Premium subscribers can also stream the VMAs live in the United States, including access to the local CBS live feed where available. The show will become available on demand through Paramount+ beginning Monday, September 28, for viewers who cannot watch the live broadcast.
If you do not have traditional cable, confirm that your streaming TV provider includes CBS or MTV before the show begins. Some live-TV services, including DIRECTV, Fubo and Philo, may offer access to the channels depending on your plan and local market; availability and trial offers can change, so check each provider directly. For the most straightforward official streaming route, Paramount+ Premium is the confirmed live option for U.S. viewers.