Oscars Fall Flat With Viewers Despite Conan and ‘Wicked’ Cameo

The ratings for Sunday’s Oscars ceremony were down by roughly 7 percent from last year, raising questions about whether the broadcast will continue its decades-long run on Disney’s ABC.

A total of 18.1 million people watched Conan O’Brien make his hosting debut at the ceremony, down from the 19.5 million who tuned in last year to see whether Barbie or Oppenheimer would round out their successes with Oscar wins.

This year’s ratings decline also ends three years of ratings rebounds following a COVID-induced crash in 2021, when 10.4 million people watched, less than half of 2020’s 23.6 million. The ratings had grown steadily since, though no year has broken 20 million viewers, and its overall ratings have declined by about 50 percent over the last decade.

The decline raises questions about whether the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will keep the Oscars on ABC after its current deal expires in 2028, just after the 100th Academy Awards.

The two sides began talks last year about re-upping the current $100 million-a-year deal, but one didn’t emerge after an exclusive negotiating period ended, according to Bloomberg. Disney wanted the package to remain the same, while the Academy has pushed for a significant increase.

The Academy has since held informal conversations with other broadcasters and streamers, including Netflix, about carrying the show into its next century and tapping into its global appeal, according to Bloomberg.

ABC’s marketing efforts leaned into the hosting debut of O’Brien, the eccentric former late-night host who followed a two-year consecutive run by network favorite Jimmy Kimmel. The host was praised for steering a steady ship even as the production itself got mixed reviews.

Producers also opted to play into modern pop culture for performances rather than any of the nominated songs, allowing for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to belt out Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” and the “Born Again” pop trio of Doja Cat, Raye, and Blackpink’s Lisa to pay tribute to James Bond theme songs.

Queen Latifah also led a rollicking tribute to producer Quincy Jones set to The Wiz’s “Ease On Down The Road.”

Still, the ceremony dragged on past its planned three-and-a-half hour broadcast, perhaps spurred by Adrien Brody’s longest-ever acceptance speech for Best Actor. The telecast ran for 3 hours and 47 minutes, prompting Hulu to cut it off prematurely.

The drop-off came as the 2024 box office was down 3 percent from 2023’s highs of Barbie and Oppenheimer, the likes of which propelled the domestic box office to $9.03 billion—and both films to the Oscar stage.

This year’s Academy Awards saw multiple little-seen films take home golden statutes while the Academy opted to stage performances from songs that were not nominated.

Last year’s Best Picture winner, Oppenheimer, grossed about $330 million at the domestic box office. Anora, this year’s top winner, grossed $15.6 million, the worst domestic performance for a Best Picture winner in history.