Oscars Ratings Crash to Lowest Level Ever
by EG
The Academy Awards (The Oscars) saw plummeting ratings this year, just like all the other awards shows did in the middle of the pandemic. But the Oscar ratings implosion is historic in other ways, too. The broadcast had already been mired in controversy and dwindling ratings, and even critics said that this year's show was a tedious, boring mess. Read on for details.
The Oscars joined a slew of other awards shows in falling to all-time ratings lows.
The 93rd Academy Awards drew 9.85 million viewers and a 1.9 rating among adults 18-49 on Sunday. That's a steep drop from from last year's 23.64 million viewers and 5.3 in the key ad demographic — both of which were the previous all-time lows.
The 58 percent decline in total viewers is in keeping with those for the Grammys (which fell 51 percent), Golden Globes (62 percent) and SAG Awards (52 percent) in recent months. In the 18-49 demo, the Oscars were down by 64 percent, also in line with other awards shows.
ABC's telecast, produced by Steven Soderbergh, Stacey Sher and Jesse Collins from downtown L.A.'s Union Station, had a small in-person audience but was much different in scope than previous shows. Reviews of the show were very mixed, with The Hollywood Reporter critic Daniel Fienberg noting that the producers' gamble in making best actor the final category fell flat when an absent Anthony Hopkins won for The Father and the show ended somewhat abruptly.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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