Ratings for the broadcast of the 96th Academy Awards television show Tuesday, revealing that 19.5 million viewers tuned in.
Viewership grew about 4% compared to the 2023 show while the rating — the percentage of households tuned into the program — held steady at 9.9.
My Oscar Book
Nielsen estimated that 11.1% of viewers were in the key 18-34 demo for a 3.82 demo-rating.
Sunday’s show tested Hollywood after two long strikes and the boost from the “Barbenheimer” pheonom.
Viewership and ratings for the broadcast rebounded in 2022 and 2023 after a record low in 2021. However, both were significantly lower than the mid-2010’s.
2014: Popular Show, 12 Years a Slave
The last time the show drew more than 40 million viewers was 2014, when 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture, according to Nielsen.
But that was before the rise and dominance of streaming across the board.
Popular Shows
The show’s record viewership came in 1998 when Titanic dominated the awards and drew in over 55 million viewers. The only other time the broadcast had over 50 million viewers came in 1983 when “Gandhi” won Best Picture.
