On February 13, 2026, the live broadcast of the Victoires de la musique ceremony on France 2 faced a significant decline in viewership, attracting merely 1.615 million viewers, which corresponds to a 9.1% audience share. This stark drop marks the lowest audience rating in the ceremony's history, especially when compared to the previous year's 40th edition that averaged 2.787 million viewers with a 15.2% share. The ceremonies are traditionally significant in the French music industry but evidently struggled to maintain interest this year.

In contrast, the competitor TF1 managed to captivate a larger audience with its program "Danse avec les stars," reaching an average of 2.652 million viewers (14.5% share) during the same timeslot. However, this figure also reflects a decline from earlier episodes of the dance show, which had seen premiere numbers reaching 3.602 million. These numbers indicate an overall drop in viewership for both the music awards and the rival entertainment program, highlighting a potential shift in audience preference or a saturation of reality competition formats in French television.

The substantial decrease in viewership raises questions about the future of the Victoires de la musique and similar ceremonies. As audience habits evolve, it may be essential for organizers to rethink their strategies and possibly innovate to attract younger demographics, ensuring that these prestigious events do not fade into obscurity amidst fierce competition for viewers’ attention on television platforms.