Despite anticipation for what Chris Rock had to say about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy, the 88th Academy Awards had the lowest total viewers in eight years and third-lowest viewership for the Oscars ever.
The marathon broadcast, which started at 8:30 p.m. ET and didn’t end until just before midnight on ABC, drew 34.3 million total viewers, reports Deadline. It only had a 10.4 rating among the 18-49 demographic. So, calling the Oscars the “Super Bowl for movies” is a bit of an insult to the Super Bowl now.
The numbers were down from the 2015 ceremony, which was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. That show had 37.3 million viewers and a 11.0 rating in the 18-49 demo, which was the lowest rating since 2008 and the lowest viewership since 2009. Now, obviously, the 2016 ceremony takes that title.
The most-watched ceremony since 2001 was the 2004 ceremony, which saw The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King win Best Picture. It drew 43.5 million viewers and really highlights one of the issues that hampered this year’s ceremony. As Variety points out, only three Best Picture nominees - The Martian, The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road - hit $100 million domestically. Critically acclaimed hits like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Creed and Straight Outta Compton all missed a nomination.
Another issue had to be the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and Rock failed to attract audiences annoyed by the lack of diversity. A network source admitted to Variety that it is possible that audiences only tuned in for his monologue and then switched the show off.
Rev. Al Sharpton said that a boycott of the Oscars was partly to blame in a statement to Variety:
“The early reports of a decline in the Oscar viewership is heartening to those of us that campaigned around asking citizens to tune out. This is a significant decline and should send a message to the Academy and to movie studio heads. Though clearly we don’t take full credit for the decline, certainly one would have to assume we were effective and part of the decline. And to those that mocked the idea of a tune out, it seems the joke was on them.”