Despite significant anticipation that major cinematic releases would boost viewership, the recent Academy Awards telecast in the US recorded its lowest ratings in four years. The ceremony garnered only 17.9 million viewers across ABC and Hulu, marking a notable 9% decrease from the previous year’s 19.7 million.
This downturn defied expectations, particularly given that many had hoped for a continued post-pandemic resurgence in interest in cinema, similar to the five-year high observed in the prior year. This earlier surge in viewership was especially notable as it occurred even when the dominant film of that year, Sean Baker’s Anora, hadn’t been a major box office hit.