Telecast Start Earlier, Followed by ‘Abbott Elementary’
The decision to move up the telecast’s start time by an hour was driven by a desire to ensure that it wraps within primetime hours on the East Coast.
The 96th Oscars which ABC will broadcast on Sunday, March 10, 2024, will start earlier than any prior edition, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday.
Rather than starting at 5 p.m. PDT / 8 p.m. EDT, as has been the case in recent years, the Oscars ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. PDT / 7 p.m. EDT, following a half-hour pre-show. The telecast’s targeted — but rarely met — length is three to three-and-a-half hours.
In years past, there has been a drop off in viewership as the evening progressed, particularly on the earlier coast, given that most people have to get up for work the following morning.
