‘Barbenheimer’ and an early start boost Oscar ratings to their highest level in four years

The comeback of live event TV continues.

ABC’s broadcast of the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday drew 19.5 million viewers, reaching its highest viewership in four years, according to Nielsen. The live TV audience was up from last year’s 18.8 million, the third year in a row that Oscar viewership has grown.

The ratings report will prompt cheers from ABC and the academy, which moved the start of the venerable awards show to 7 p.m. Eastern, an hour earlier than normal, in hopes that more viewers would stick around for the latter categories.

That approach seemed to pay off, as did the numerous nominations for the big box office hits ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ – a change from recent years when more obscure films dominated the ceremony. Jimmy Kimmel also received warm reviews in his fourth outing as host, putting him one step away from matching another late-night star in the Oscars spotlight: Johnny Carson.

Nielsen said Sunday’s Oscars were the most-watched network awards show since February 2020, continuing a recent trend that has seen increased viewer interest in the types of mass cultural events that have struggled during the pandemic.

In February, 16.9 million people watched the Grammy Awards, an increase of 34 percent from last year. Golden Globes viewership rose 50 percent in January compared to a year ago. The Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers broke ratings records with an audience of 123.7 million. Even the ratings for the 2023 Tony Awards, traditionally the least watched of the “EGOTquartet, stood up modestly.

At Sunday’s Oscars, Billie Eilish sang her pop ballad “What Am I Made For?” and Ryan Gosling delivered a brutal yet committed performance of “I’m Just Ken.” The choreography, based on Busby Berkeley films and the Marilyn Monroe musical “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” was supplemented by a cameo from thrash-rock guitarist Slash and a bevy of supporting Kens from “Barbie,” including Simu Liu.

ABC, which has the broadcast rights to the Oscars through 2028, said it had sold out its ad inventory for Sunday’s event. The network did not share prices, but advertising executives said ABC charged $1.7 million to $2.2 million for a 30-second spot, slightly more than last year. Some ads appeared on the air itself, such as a plug for Don Julio tequila, in which Kimmel’s sidekick Guillermo Rodriguez offered the drink to celebrities in the audience.

In 2021, just 10.4 million people watched the stripped-down pandemic Oscars held in a Los Angeles train station. Viewership rose to 16.6 million people in 2022, partly due to the bizarre spectacle of Will Smith punching Chris Rock.

Yet there is no doubt that TV viewing habits have changed. Before 2018, the Oscars telecast had never fallen below 32 million viewers.