Ratings: Oscars Hit 9-Year Low — Can the Downward Trend Be Reversed?
Unless I’m reading this envelope from the Nielsen Company wrong, Sunday night’s Oscars broadcast was down in the preliminary ratings from last year’s telecast.
RELATEDOscars: Pricewaterhouse Takes Responsibility for Envelopegate Mixup — ‘We Sincerely Apologize’
Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and capped by one of the most ignominious gaffes in awards-show history — as an envelope mix-up led Faye Dunaway to announce the wrong best Picture winner — ABC’s presentation of the 89th annual Academy Awards delivered 32.9 million total viewers and a 9.1 demo rating, down 4 and 13 percent from last year’s Chris Rock-hosted outing, which recorded eight-year lows.
You’d have to go back to 2008’s Jon Stewart-hosted Oscars, where No Country for Old Men won best Picture, to find a smaller audience (32 million).
GRADE IT!Oscars: Jimmy Kimmel Shreds Trump, Mel Gibson in Monologue
Moonlight, not La La Land (in case you switched off the Zenith at the same time I did), was named Best Picture at this year’s kudoscast, while Emma Stone (La La Land), Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea), Viola Davis (Fences) and Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) grabbed gold in the acting categories.
Why do you think the Oscars’ numbers have been slipping? And what would you change to you reverse the trend?
Launch Gallery: Oscars 2017: Best/Worst Moments
Related stories
Kimmel Breaks Down Oscar Debacle: 'Clyde Threw Bonnie Under the Bus'
Trump Breaks Oscars Silence, Blames 'Politics' for 'Sad' Best Picture Mix-Up
The Oscars' Epic Envelopegate Fiasco: The Real Winners and Losers
Get more from TVLine: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
