This year’s Academy Awards, broadcast on ABC and streamed on Hulu, had 17.86 million viewers, making it the least-watched Oscars ceremony in two years.
That is down 9% from last year’s 19.7 million, which had marked a five-year high for the show.
The broadcast received a 3.92 rating among adults aged 18-49, a key demographic for advertisers. This was a 14% decrease from last year’s rating of 4.54.
Oscars ratings slide after last year’s rebound
After seeing a bump in 2025, the Oscars gave some of that momentum right back.
The decline indicates that the positive results from last year weren’t sustained, despite ABC and Hulu continuing to offer viewers content through both traditional TV and streaming platforms.
Big-name presenters didn’t move the needle
The Oscars and ABC announced presenters like Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, and other well-known stars were also featured to attract fans of popular movie franchises.
That extra star power still failed to stop the ratings decline.
Despite all the buzz about big franchises like Marvel, The Avengers, and Star Wars being featured, viewership was still down compared to last year.
The winners may not have connected with mainstream audiences
A problem is that the films winning major awards weren’t necessarily big hits with general moviegoers.
One Battle After Another was the big winner at the Oscars, taking home Best Picture and a total of six awards. Sinners also had a successful night, winning four Oscars. (You can find a complete list of winners here.)
Both Sinners movies did better than expected, but they weren’t the big, popular hits that usually attract a wider audience to watch awards shows.
It’s also fair to say some viewers are frustrated with Hollywood’s tendency to highlight films during awards season that don’t resonate with most Americans.
Fans may have watched on social media instead
Where the Oscars did see growth was online.
ABC reported that social impressions jumped 42.4% this year, with 1.84 billion impressions.
The Academy’s social media following grew to 21.6 million, an increase from 19.7 million last year. The event itself was viewed in over 129 million video clips that night.
This suggests a growing trend of people watching short clips and highlights online instead of watching entire TV shows or events live.
You know, what I think this all boils down to is that people still love those big, shareable moments from awards shows – the amazing speeches, the celebrity appearances, the red carpet excitement. But honestly, it seems like they’re less interested in watching the entire ceremony just to get to those highlights. They want the good stuff, but maybe in a quicker, more digestible format.
ABC keeps the Oscars through 2028 before YouTube takes over
The Oscars will remain on ABC through 2028.
Beginning in 2029, YouTube will be the only place to watch the show worldwide, as it will no longer air on ABC.
If fewer people watch TV and more people interact online, shifting focus to digital platforms might prove to be a wise decision.
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2026-03-18 03:32