The viewership for the annual telecast of the Academy Awards ceremony has decline for the third consecutive year, says the Hollywood Reporter:
A long and eventful 89th Academy Awards continued the ABC telecast’s recent downward ratings trend.
After initial indicators had Sunday’s lengthy show off from 2016, time-zone adjusted tallies give this year’s Oscars an average 32.9 million viewers. That marks a 4 percent drop in viewership from the prior. Early stats had the show averaging an overnight 22.4 rating among metered market households. (Last year’s outing saw its overnight score, a 23.4 rating, ultimately translate to 34.4 million viewers.) In the key demo of adults 18-49, this year’s show averaged a 9.1 rating — off a more dramatic 14 percent from the 2016 telecast, which averaged a 10.5 rating among the advertiser-favored viewers.
Once upon a time the Academy Awards were the only nationally-televised awards show. Now there are dozens of them. Add the various reality shows which are essentially scripted awards shows orchestrated as weekly television programs and it’s just too much.
During the heyday of the studio system the Academy Awards were used to promote movies. Most Americans including the members of the Academy have never seen this year’s Best Picture winner and in all likelihood never will. What the heck were the Academy members voting for?
If the Oscars get a bump next year, following the snafu over announcing the Best Picture winner it will be the equivalent of gaping at a traffic accident. I doubt that will happen and as the people who remember when the Academy Awards presentation was a unique, glamorous event die off its viewership will continue to decline.
Let it depart with dignity.
