The Oscars Saw Its Ratings Drop 7% This Year – What Happened?
The 97th Academy Awards aired on ABC and Hulu last Sunday, drawing 18.07 million viewers, a lower number than many had expected.
After seeing its ratings plummet for years, the Oscars had been undergoing something of a viewership renaissance. Emerging from the pandemic, the 94th Oscars drew 16.6 million viewers in 2022.
Photo: ABC
That number rose to 18.8 million in 2023, while the 96th Academy Awards delivered 19.5 million viewers last year. The hope was that viewership would continue to climb this year.
Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Why the Decline?
Now that the dust has settled, we can see that the Oscars’ ratings fell 7% year-over-year. While that number is surely disappointing for everyone involved, it also does not tell the full story.
Photo: Disney
As we previously reported, Hulu experienced technical difficulties throughout Sunday night that left many unable to tune into the Academy Awards. By making the Oscars available on streaming, Disney hoped to draw a younger demographic into the fold. The technical difficulties may have scuttled that strategy.
Photo: Hulu
The length of the presentation may also have hurt the ratings. Sunday’s Academy Awards was one of the longest ever, at 3 hours and 47 minutes. The sheer length of the show may have contributed to the ratings dip.
Will the Ratings Affect the Oscars’ Future?
For Disney, Sunday’s ratings provide another data point in their negotiations with the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences over a new broadcasting deal.
Photo: Deadline
According to a recent Bloomberg report, the two sides remain far apart on a contract extension. The current deal runs through at least 2028 and is worth more than $100 million a year.
Photo: Disney
Now, the two sides will continue their negotiations knowing that ratings have fallen. That may only make things more complicated.
