OK, the “La La Land”-“Moonlight” thing happened — now let’s talk about how the 2017 Oscars performed in TV ratings.
Jimmy Kimmel’s turn Sunday on ABC landed a 22.4 rating in Nielsen’s overnight numbers, which count 56 metered markets. That’s down 4.3 percent from last year’s very preliminary numbers, when Chris Rock hosted.
In 2016, the 88th Academy Awards dipped 6 percent to an eight-year low. That version received a 23.4 household rating/36 share from 8:30 p.m. ET to midnight.
Those early numbers last year eventually translated into 34.3 million total viewers, which was down 6.2 percent versus 2015. That represents the third fewest eyeballs since Nielsen began electronically tracking in 1992.
This year’s final tally will be out by 3 p.m. ET/noon PT today, so stayed bookmarked to TheWrap.
Rock’s turn remained a little closer to its predecessor in the key 18-49 demographic, posting a 10.4 to 2015’s 10.8. Of course, it’s not like the 87th annual Academy Awards — with host Neil Patrick Harris — did gangbusters either. In other words, the Oscars continue their slide — but film’s biggest celebration remains one of the biggest broadcasts of the year, every year.
21 Best and Worst Oscars Moments of 2017, From Viola Davis to Warren Beatty (Photos)
This year's Academy Awards featured an insanely cute kid, some uncomfortable name-shaming -- and one of the biggest flubs in the nearly 100-year history of the ceremony
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WORST: People Magazine editor and red carpet host Jess Cagle revived this year's Golden Globes faux pas, mentioning "Hidden Fences" as one of 2016's extraordinary films.
ABC
BEST: Jimmy Kimmel honors Meryl Streep with a standing ovation and a tongue-in-cheek homage to an actress who "has stood the test of time for her many uninspiring and overrated performances"
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BEST: "Moonlight" star Mahershala Ali gives a touching speech honoring his grandmother and four-day-old child after winning the Oscar for Best Actor
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WORST: Critically panned superhero flick "Suicide Squad" wins an Oscar for makeup, giving the film as many Academy Awards as "Citizen Kane"
Warner Bros.
BEST: The cast of "Hidden Figures" brings out one of the film's true-life inspirations, NASA scientist Katharine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson in the movie)
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BEST: The rich get richer: Jimmy Kimmel floated bags of sweets to the crowd with a massive balloon drop
ABC
WORST/BEST: "Moana" star Auli'i Cravalho got hit in the head with a flag while performing the song "How Far I'll Go" from the Disney film, but the 16-year-old wasn't flustered and brought down the house with her singing
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BEST: "Fences'" Viola Davis gives an emotional speech honoring her family and August Wilson after accepting her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress
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BEST: After Iran's "The Salesman" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, director Asghar Farhadi (who boycotted the ceremony) explained his reasons in a heartfelt and pointed statement read by an Iranian-American engineer and astronaut
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BEST: Jimmy Kimmel brings a bus full of Hollywood tourists to the front row of the Academy Awards -- and Denzel Washington unofficially marries an engaged couple
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WORST: Jimmy Kimmel makes fun of one of the tourists' name, while saying "now that's a name" to her husband, named Patrick
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WORST: Seth Rogen (poorly) sings "Hamilton" songs while presenting the Academy Award for Best Film Editing alongside Michael J. Fox
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BEST/WORST: Kimmel conducts a brief interview with "Lion" star Sunny Pawar, but an homage to Disney's "Lion King" comes off a little awkward
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BEST: Kimmel tries to engage the President on his preferred medium: Twitter
Twitter
BEST: The host unveils an Oscar-themed version of one of his late-night show's signature bits, Mean Tweets
ABC
BEST: Kimmel introduces presenters Ben Affleck and erstwhile rival Matt Damon as "Ben Affleck and guest," and has Damon played off by the orchestra during his announcement of the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay
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WORST: Halle Berry incorrectly pronounces "La La Land" director Damien Chazelle's name as "Shazeel" when announcing his win for Best Director
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BEST: "Manchester by the Sea" director Kenneth Lonergan wins his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and says his film is "about people trying to take care of each other in terrible diversity" in a heartfelt speech
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WORST: Emma Stone wins the Oscar for Best Actress for musical "La La Land," despite her lack of top-end singing skills -- and a field including Isabelle Huppert, Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman
Beatty’s Best Picture flub was one of the biggest Oscar bloopers of all time
This year's Academy Awards featured an insanely cute kid, some uncomfortable name-shaming -- and one of the biggest flubs in the nearly 100-year history of the ceremony