UPDATE: Sunday Night’s Oscars Ratings Were Actually MUCH Higher Than Initially Reported
Late last night, The Walt Disney Company reported that 18.07 million viewers tuned into Sunday night’s Academy Awards.
While the number may have sounded impressive, it was actually a 7% dip from last year, which many viewed as disappointing.
Early this morning we gave a full analysis of the ratings and questioned how Sunday’s figures could affect the ongoing negotiations between Disney and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
Photo Credit: ABC.com
Well, as it turns out, those numbers did not tell the full story.
The Updated Ratings
This afternoon, Disney revealed that it was actually 19.69 million viewers who tuned into the Oscars after accounting for mobile and PC viewing.
The new figure bests last year’s rating of 19.5 million viewers and will now serve as a high water mark for the awards show in recent years.
Now, I know what you are thinking. How did the ratings rise so much between yesterday and today?
The answer is actually fairly simple. This year, the Oscars were broadcast live on Hulu for the first time ever. Much of the unaccounted audience watched the ceremony on streaming.
Photo: THIERRY CHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES
Broadcasters factor in mobile and PC viewing when estimating ratings, but usually, they do not move the needle much. Sunday’s Oscars, however, blew past those estimates.
Taking these viewers into account, the total audience for the Oscars once again grew and reached a five-year high.
Questions Remain
While Disney is likely breathing a sigh of relief, there are some lingering questions.
For starters, it is unclear what impact Hulu’s technical difficulties had on ratings.
Photo: Hulu
Additionally, it should be noted that this year’s Oscars barely eked past the 2024 presentation despite being broadcast on streaming for the first time.
The question for Disney (and the industry as a whole) is whether simulcasting their biggest events on streaming helps reach a new audience or simply draws existing viewers away from traditional linear television.
Photo: Disney
There will be time in the future to answer those questions. For now, both Disney and the Academy have reason to celebrate. Reports of the Oscars’ demise have been overstated.
