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

ABC’s Sunday telecast of the 98th Oscars averaged 17.9 cardinal viewers, ending a four-year streak of assemblage increases.

The fig from Nielsen is down 9% from the 19.7 cardinal viewers who watched the telecast connected ABC and Hulu successful 2025.

After ratings for the Oscars cratered to an all-time debased of 10.5 cardinal viewers successful 2021, the event’s assemblage levels ticked backmost up successful caller years.

But the amusement has not topped 20 cardinal viewers since 2019, arsenic younger viewers are contented to ticker highlights of the ceremonial connected societal media, alternatively than beryllium done a three-hour-plus telecast connected accepted TV.

The awards held astatine the Dolby Theatre successful Hollywood honored “One Battle After Another” for champion picture, Michael B. Jordan for pb histrion successful “Sinners,” and Jessie Buckley for pb histrion successful “Hamnet.” Conan O’Brien was the big for the 2nd consecutive year.

Critics said the ceremonial was airy connected governmental statements astir President Trump, whose sanction was not mentioned during the telecast. The show’s item was an extended “In Memoriam” conception that gave other tribute to legendary histrion and filmmaker Robert Redford and slain actor, manager and shaper Rob Reiner.

ABC had occurrence successful selling retired the commercials for the Oscars, which is perennially the astir watched non-sports telecast of the year. But the web volition lone person the lawsuit for 2 much years arsenic the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose to instrumentality a amended fiscal connection from YouTube for the rights to the telecast starting successful 2029.

O’Brien poked amusive astatine the YouTube move. He closed with a video that shows him being appointed Oscars “host for life.” As helium takes successful the honor, poison state seeps into the bureau helium is given. After O’Brien’s lifeless assemblage is wheeled out, a sanction plaque with a caller big is enactment connected the door. His successor is YouTube prima Mr. Beast.