Oscars 2025: Highest Honours Viewership Fell Short By 7% From Last Year - Know Why

Oscar 2025: The 97th annual Academy Awards hosted on Sunday at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and was one of the year's most thrilling events. The Oscars ceremony, which celebrated the independent film Anora, attracted approximately 18.1 million viewers across television and streaming platforms, according to data shared by ABC on Monday. This reflects a 7% drop in viewership compared to 2024.

2025 Oscars faced a decline in viewership

The audience for Hollywood's top awards dropped by 7% compared to the 2024 ceremony, which attracted 19.5 million viewers to watch the blockbuster biopic Oppenheimer win Best Picture. However, viewership among adults under 50 increased by 3%, according to ABC.

This year's Best Picture winner, Anora, is an unconventional fairy tale about a sex worker and the son of a Russian oligarch. The film also secured four additional awards at the event and has earned $40 million globally, far less than Oppenheimer, which grossed nearly $976 million.

Comedian Conan O'Brien made his Oscars hosting debut and received widespread praise from TV critics. The nearly four-hour ceremony largely steered clear of political topics.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote, "O'Brien absolutely rocked his debut as a host, walking the perfect line between acid and affection. This was Conan at his acerbic best, giving Jimmy Kimmel a run for his money."

Also Read: Oscars 2025: From Halle Berry-Adrien’s Controversial Kiss Recap To Conan's Hindi Attempt, 97th Academy Awards Viral Moments

Hulu to blame for drop in Oscars viewership?

The Academy Awards were broadcast live on ABC, owned by Walt Disney, and streamed on Hulu. Some Hulu viewers experienced glitches and reported that the stream cut off just before the announcements for Best Actress and Best Picture.

In recent years, fewer people have watched Hollywood awards ceremonies as many have shifted from traditional television to streaming platforms and social media.

According to ABC, Sunday’s awards generated 104.2 million social interactions, surpassing the Grammy Awards and the Super Bowl. The most-watched Academy Awards telecast occurred in 1998 when the blockbuster Titanic dominated the honours, attracting over 57 million viewers. In contrast, Oscar ratings reached their lowest in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with just 10.5 million viewers.