Miley Cyrus’ NBC Bangerz Special Was a Huge Ratings Flop

According to reports, the special—which featured performances and backstage footage from Cyrus’ recent shows in Spain and Portugal—drew a mere 2 million viewers with a 0.7 rating among the coveted demographic of adults aged 18 to 49.

MORE: See Every TV Show That Got Canceled Next Season

Granted, anything that airs on a summer weekend—a holiday weekend, at that—probably isn’t going to be ratings gold, but considering there wasn’t much else to watch on Sunday night, expectations were probably a little higher.

It also seemed a little odd that Miley would agree to air a full concert on national television when there’s roughly two dozen dates left on the Bangerz tour. A short teaser we could understand, but airing the whole thing seems like a “why buy the cow when you’re getting the milk for free?” situation.

The Washington Post has some solid theories as to why the twerking pop star would choose to air her entire concert on NBC, including damage control, forcing scandalized American parents to see that’s all in good fun, the need to boost ticket sales, and the fact that Cyrus has a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, which licenses music to NBC. All valid points, but—given the fact that the special didn’t draw audiences, and Cyrus hasn’t been making as many headlines lately—it felt a bit like misplaced programming.