The Oscars’ telecast has now jumped to 18.4 million total viewers and a 4.38 rating in the key 18 to 49 demographic, according to Live + Seven-Day numbers reported by ABC (which includes out-of-home viewing data).
This constitutes about a 69% increase in viewership compared to last year, when just 10.9 million people watched the show (a record low for the Oscars). Ratings were also up about 90% in the 18 to 49 demo (compared to a 2.31 last year).
The 94th annual Academy Awards, which were back at the Dolby Theatre after taking place at downtown Los Angeles’ Union Station in 2021, are available to stream on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ in many international markets. The L+7 viewing data also includes tape delay.
The L+7 viewing numbers indicate that the show drew nearly two million people in delayed viewing, since Live + Same Day numbers reported that the telecast scored about 16.6 million views and a 3.8 rating.
That was still a pretty significant bounce back from 2021. But, it remains the second least-watched Oscars telecast ever.
The show still hasn’t been able to touch its pre-pandemic numbers, which were already on decline. It remains to be seen if it ever will.
According to Nielsen, ABC managed a 5.3 rating and 23.6 million total viewers for the 2020 Oscars — just about a month prior to the beginning of COVID lockdowns in many parts of the world. At the time, those were both record lows.
Slapgate is still dominating the news cycle, as more Hollywood stars speak out about Will Smith smacking Chris Rock on stage for joking about Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair. Last week, the “King Richard” star and newly minted Best Actor winner resigned from the Academy in response to the fallout.
It remains to be seen what else is on the horizon, as the board of governors reviews the incident for possible further disciplinary measures. Either way, it seems the 2022 Oscars will remain a topic of conversation.