Hollywood Reporter:
Oscars’ TV Ratings Low Caps Award Shows’ Down Year
Awards shows are the category of TV programming hardest hit by the pandemic.
Sports events, including the World Series and NBA and NHL finals, were down by similarly large percentages last fall, but that was due in part to all three, plus the NFL regular season, being crowded into the fall. As the calendar has returned to normal, sports ratings have stabilized somewhat.
Linear TV usage has also declined during the pandemic, but by far smaller percentages (15 to 20 percent) than the drop for awards shows.
Artistically, the weakest show of the season was the telecast of the Golden Globes, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, both in particularly poor shape.
Broadcasters have to hope that as more of life returns to normal in the coming months, audiences will again have an appetite for industry kudos.