Viewership dip comes amid broader downturn across major televised award shows.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Viewership for the Academy Awards declined by 9% this year, drawing approximately 17.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings, marking the ceremony’s first drop in audience size since 2021.
The decrease follows four consecutive years of growth for the Oscars and aligns with similar declines across other major award shows. According to The New York Times, this year represents the first time in several years that the Oscars, Grammy Awards, and Golden Globe Awards all experienced viewership declines simultaneously.
The Grammy Awards recorded 14.4 million viewers this year, down from nearly 17 million two years earlier, while the Golden Globes drew 8.7 million viewers.
Nielsen’s Oscars figures include both traditional television viewers on ABC and those streaming the ceremony on Hulu.
Despite the drop in viewership, the broadcast received generally favorable reviews. Conan O’Brien returned as host, and the telecast featured several notable wins, including “One Battle After Another” taking best picture. The film “Sinners” received four awards, including best actor for Michael B. Jordan.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scheduled the ceremony later than usual this year to avoid overlapping with the Winter Olympics.
However, competing programming may have impacted ratings. The World Baseball Classic aired a closely contested semifinal matchup between the United States and the Dominican Republic on the same night, drawing approximately 7.4 million viewers, a strong showing for a cable broadcast.
The ratings shift reflects ongoing changes in viewing habits and increased competition for live television audiences, even as major award shows continue to generate industry attention and critical discussion.
Original article
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