Oscars viewership increases for the 2nd year in a row
With help from the Na'vi, Maverick, and a Michelle Yeoh from every universe, the Academy has staved off another ratings decline for the Oscars.
Sunday's Academy Awards drew an average of 18.7 million viewers, an increase of about 12 percent from the previous year, according to Nielsen. This was the biggest audience for the Oscars since 2020. It also marks the second year in a row that viewership for the Academy Awards increased. About 16.6 million people tuned in to the 2022 Oscars, which was up from 2021's all-time low of 10.4 million.
Sunday's Oscars may have benefited from having several major box office hits in contention, as 2022's two biggest movies, Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, were both nominated for Best Picture. They each won an Oscar, but the night was mainly dominated by Everything Everywhere All at Once, which won seven awards, including Best Picture. Everything Everywhere was also a surprise hit in 2022, grossing over $100 million worldwide.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
It's also possible there may have been an increased interest in the Oscars due to the chaos of last year's ceremony, during which Will Smith slapped Chris Rock on stage. Though host Jimmy Kimmel made plenty of jokes about that incident, there wasn't any similar drama on Sunday evening. The solid viewership was also despite the fact that The Last of Us aired its season finale on HBO during the ceremony, drawing 8.2 million viewers.
The viewership for Sunday's Oscars was still the third lowest in the telecast's history and nowhere near the audience of more than 40 million who tuned in for the 2014 Oscars, for example. But after years of declines, the fact that the ratings have been ticking up is still a reassuring sign for the Academy, perhaps suggesting the future of Hollywood's biggest night isn't as bleak as it once seemed.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The horror movies the Academy forgot
The Week Recommends For your consideration: five movies that should have made the cut
By David Faris Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Taylor Swift to Miley Cyrus: female artists dominate 2024 Grammys
Speed Read SZA, Phoebe Bridgers and Lainey Wilson were also among the winners at LA gala
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
2024 Best Picture nominees back when they were books
The Week Recommends Every great movie has to start somewhere
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published