The event recorded a rating of 3.92 (approximately 5.3 million viewers) among adults aged 18–49, marking a 14% decline from last year’s rating of 4.54.
This year, the 98th Academy Awards, hosted by legendary TV talk show host Conan O'Brien, reportedly saw a decline in viewership compared to the previous year. The ceremony was broadcast on ABC in the U.S. and streamed on Hulu. According to ratings from Nielsen Media Research, viewership dropped from 19.7 million last year to 17.9 million this year—a decline of 9.1%.
Hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Dolby Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, this trend is not unusual for the show. Since the 1990s, TV viewership for the Oscars has been steadily declining, with 1998 holding the all-time record of 57 million viewers. This drop is largely attributed to changing audience habits, particularly the shift toward digital streaming platforms over traditional television.
The event recorded a rating of 3.92 (approximately 5.3 million viewers) among adults aged 18–49, marking a 14% decline from last year’s rating of 4.54.
However, in terms of awards, the night saw major wins across categories. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film dominated with six major awards, including Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, and the newly introduced category of Best Casting. This was followed by Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which took home four Oscars. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor, Coogler secured Best Screenplay, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography—becoming the first woman to win in that category.
Despite dramatic moments, surprising ties, and highly anticipated wins, overall viewership for the Oscars continued to decline compared to previous years.
This article is written by Nag Adithya, a student of Loyola Academy interning with Deccan Chronicle.
