Oscars 2024 Hit 4-Year Viewership High With 19.5 Million

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Hollywood’s biggest night scored 19.5 million total viewers Sunday night on ABC, according to Nielsen fast national live and same day data.

The telecast of the 96th Academy Awards marked a four-year high in total viewers, including a 4% increase compared to the 18.8 million who tuned into the Sunday night telecast in 2023. Last year’s broadcast saw a 13% uptick in total viewership compared to the 16.7 million viewers the awards show nabbed in 2022. This year’s show also nabbed a 3.81 rating among adults 18-49.

The 2024 Oscars started an hour earlier than previous telecasts at 4 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET — a tactic to keep East Coast audiences up through the end of the ceremony, which Oscars showrunner and EP Raj Kapoor told TheWrap would be be “beneficial” given audience’s shifting lifestyles.

The ceremony closed out the 2024 awards seasons, which has mostly trended upwards when it comes to ratings, with viewership for the Golden Globes up a whopping 50% from last year, and Grammys ratings seeing a 34% uptick from the previous ceremony. The Emmys, on the other hand, hit a record ratings low and saw a 27% decline in viewership.

Christopher Nolan’s dramatic epic about the invention of the atomic bomb “Oppenheimer” was the big winner of the evening. Out of the 13 nominations the movie received, “Oppenheimer” won seven of them including wins for Best Picture, Nolan for Best Director, Cillian Murphy for Best Actor, Robert Downey Jr. for Best Supporting Actor, Ludwig Göransson for Best Score, Hoyte van Hoytema for Best Cinematography and Jennifer Lame for Best Film Editing. The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed “Poor Things” also walked away with for wins, including Emma Stone for Best Actress. Additionally, Jonathan Glazer’s “Zone of Interest” took home two Oscars: Best International Feature Film and Best Sound for Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn.

The evening also saw some records being set. Thanks to her win for “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie,” Billie Eilish and Finneas became the youngest two-time Oscar winners in the history of the awards show. Additionally, Robert Downey Jr. became the first “Saturday Night Live” cast member to win an Oscar, and “Godzilla Minus One,” which took home Best Visual Effects, marked the first Oscar nomination and win for a “Godzilla” movie.

ABC’s critically-acclaimed comedy “Abbott Elementary” also won gold on Oscar night, with a special episode that debuted immediately after the ceremony scoring series highs in total viewers (6.9 million) and in the 18-49 demo ratings (1.42).

The special installment, which featured a special appearance by Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper, delivered the highest-rated telecast for any sitcom on any network in nearly four years among adults 18-49.

“Abbott Elementary” returns to its regular timeslot Wednesday, March 13, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.