Worries about the award show’s TV viewership, a barometer of the industry’s influence, are rumbling through the movie capital.
Viewership for the annual Oscars show has long served as a cultural barometer — a way for Hollywood to gauge its relevance amid shifting political winds, fracturing media habits and changing social values.
In recent years, viewer totals for the ABC telecast have steadily risen. In 2024, nearly 20 million Americans watched the Oscars, up from 18.7 million in 2023 and 16.6 million a year before that, according to Nielsen data. Only 10.4 million people, the fewest on record, watched in 2021.
The takeaway in Hollywood: We’re doing a great job!
But this year’s numbers could send a different message.
In the run-up to the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, worries about the size of the TV audience have rumbled through the movie capital. Concerns center on the nominated films: For the most part, Oscar voters singled out little-seen movies, potentially limiting viewer interest. Numerous best picture contenders carry progressive messages just as the country has veered right. Other award shows have struggled; ratings for the recent Grammys dropped 9 percent from last year, ending three years of gains.
To avoid a decline, ABC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which produces the show, have intensified their marketing efforts and leaned into what is new — namely the ceremony’s host, Conan O’Brien, a first-time Oscars M.C. This show will also stream live on Hulu. Analysts estimate that the streamer could add several hundred thousand live viewers. (Like ABC, Hulu is owned by Disney, which holds Oscars distribution rights until 2028.)
The academy has also tried to steer attention toward overall viewership (people watching overseas, people catching a recording a few days later) and away from live viewing in the United States.