The 98th Academy Awards drew 17.86 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, down 9 percent from last year's 19.7 million. That result made this year's ceremony the least-watched Oscar telecast since 2022.
The television broadcast achieved an average rating of 3.92 among adults aged 18 to 49, up from 4.54 last year but up from 3.82 in 2024.
Despite the decline in viewership, the 98th Academy Awards is considered the best-timed entertainment telecast of the 2025/2026 season, according to Disney.
The decline in viewership for the ceremony, hosted by Conan O'Brien, comes amid similar trends at other major awards shows this winter. The Golden Globes saw a 6 percent drop in viewership, with 8.66 million viewers in January, while the Grammy Awards also fell 6 percent to 14.4 million viewers in February.
According to Nielsen National Live, the Oscars were the most-watched program on Sunday, both overall and across all major demographics.
At the same time, there was a significant increase in social media activity. ABC said impressions rose 42.4 percent to 184,314,370, while the Academy's social platforms grew to 21.6 million, up from 19.7 million a year earlier. More than 129 million video views were recorded during the evening.
This is the first decline in Oscar viewership in five years. After a record low of 10.4 million viewers in 2021, the ceremony has seen steady increases: 16.6 million in 2022, 18.8 million in 2023, 19.5 million in 2024 and 19.7 million in 2025.
Host Conan O'Brien delivered strong results for the second year in a row, and Walt Disney Television executive vice president Rob Mills said O'Brien could stay in the role if he wanted.
“One Battle After Another” won six Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, while “Sinners” had a successful night with four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan.
Disney has two years remaining on its contract to broadcast the Oscars, which will air on ABC and Hulu in 2027 and 2028. The Academy's new deal with YouTube will take effect in 2029, from the 101st ceremony, with streaming rights secured through at least 2033.
Data is based on Nielsen National Live+Same Day Big Data Plus program ratings for March 15, 2026, with additional social media analysis conducted by Talkwalker. /Telegraph/
