2026 Oscars telecast scores 17.9 million viewers, down 9% from last year

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The 98th Academy Awards on ABC drew an average of 17.9 million viewers on Sunday, marking the end of four consecutive years of rising viewership.

Okay, so the latest numbers are in, and honestly, I was a little surprised. Apparently, viewership is down about 9% from last year. If you remember, in 2025, the show pulled in 19.7 million viewers across ABC and Hulu. This year, it’s just a bit lower than that.

The Oscars viewership dropped to a record low of 10.5 million in 2021, but numbers have since improved in recent years.

The show hasn’t attracted over 20 million viewers since 2019. Many younger people now prefer to catch highlights on social media instead of watching the entire three-hour-plus broadcast on TV.

Hollywood Inc.

The 83rd awards show, hosted by Nikki Glaser, drew an average of 8.66 million viewers on TV and streaming platforms.

The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood played host to an awards show where “One Battle After Another” took home the prize for best picture. Michael B. Jordan was recognized as best actor for his role in “Sinners,” and Jessie Buckley won best actress for “Hamnet.” Conan O’Brien returned to host the event for the second year in a row.

Some critics noted the awards show didn’t include many direct comments about President Trump, and his name wasn’t said at any point during the broadcast. A particularly memorable part of the show was the extended tribute to those we’ve lost, which especially honored actor and filmmaker Robert Redford and the late actor, director, and producer Rob Reiner.

As a huge movie fan, I always look forward to the Oscars – it’s consistently the most-watched non-sports event on TV! ABC has been doing great with the ad sales, selling out every year. But sadly, things are changing. The Academy decided to move the broadcast to YouTube in 2029 because they offered a better deal. So, while ABC has had the show for a long time, they’ll only be broadcasting it for two more years, which is a bit of a bummer.

O’Brien jokingly criticized YouTube’s decision. He ended his commentary with a satirical video imagining him being named the Oscars host for life. The video shows him receiving the honor, but then being overcome by poison gas in his new office. After his character is wheeled out, a plaque is put on the door revealing Mr. Beast, a popular YouTuber, as the new host.

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2026-03-18 03:31