Oscars Draw Low Viewing Numbers Yet Again

TV & Film

Mar 19

The Oscars — Image Source: Wallpaper Access

Viewership for the 98th Annual Academy Awards is down 9% compared to last year. The awards telecast drew 17.9 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, according to Nielsen. This is the lowest viewership for the Oscars since 2022. The 9% decline from last year reduced viewers from 19.7 million to 17.9 million. Before the ratings decline this year, the Oscars had experienced a steady increase in viewership over the past 5 years. Despite the decline in viewers this year, the Oscars are the number 1 primetime entertainment telecast of the 2025-2026 season, according to Disney.

This decline follows a drop in ratings for other awards shows this year, including the Golden Globe Awards and Grammys, both of which experienced a 6% drop in viewership from last year. According to ABC, online social impressions for the Oscars were up by 42.4% this year, which included more than 129 million video views. Disney’s deal with the Oscars will run until 2029, when its new partnership with YouTube begins with the 101st Annual Academy Awards in 2029.

CultureSlate: Made by humans, for humans.

Please consider supporting our AI-free content via our Patreon page

READ NEXT:

Featured