VMA's set all-time MTV record

MTV's Video Music Awards drew 12.4 million viewers on Sunday, the largest audience in network history.Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards drew a whopping 12.4 million viewers, making it the most watched program in the net's history. In the 12-34 demo, the kudocast delivered a 10.8 rating and 8.5 million viewers, an increase of 9% from 2010. That's the all-time record for any MTV telecast in the demo and the highest aud for the demo in 2011 for any cabler. Among the top performers at the awards that helped bring in so many eyeballs were Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z and Kanye West. MTV led off the night at 7 p.m. with a new episode of "Jersey Shore." That was followed by the hourlong VMA pre-show, which attracted 7.3 million viewers, up 16% from last year. Also, the fact that Hurricane Irene forced many East Coast residents to stay indoors certainly benefited the network and possibly elevated the total viewer totals higher than normal. After the VMA's at 11:30 p.m., the teen-centric cabler aired the pilot of the Doug Liman exec produced "I Just Want My Pants Back." Ratings for the half-hour comedy aren't available yet, but the net is hoping the sneak preview will entice auds to come back when the show officially debuts in January. Contact Stuart Levine at stuart.levine@variety.com