The 98th annual Academy Awards drew 17.86 million viewers on ABC and Hulu, which makes it the least-watched Oscars telecast since 2022. The number is down 9% from last year’s 19.7 million viewers, which had been a five-year high for the telecast.
The telecast averaged a 3.92 rating among adults 18-49, down from last year’s 4.54 but up from 2024’s 3.82 rating. Despite this year’s dip, the 98th Academy Awards now rates as the No. 1 primetime entertainment telecast of the 2025-2026 season, according to Disney.
The declines for Sunday night’s broadcast, which was hosted by Conan O’Brien, matches similar dips seen by other major awards shows this winter, with the Golden Globes down 6% (8.66 million viewers) in January and the Grammys down 6% (14.4 million viewers) in February.
All of the ratings are via Nielsen’s big data plus panel ratings. The Oscars easily ranked as the No. 1 program on Sunday in viewers and across all key demos.
ABC also reported that social impressions were up +42.4% this year (184,314,3702) and Academy social platforms were up to 21.6 million this year vs. 19.7 million last year, including more than 129 million video views throughout the night.
This reps the ceremony’s first viewership drop in five years. In 2021, the first ceremony after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic saw an all-time low of 10.4 million viewers, but Hollywood’s biggest night saw consecutive growth for three years after that, hitting 16.6 million viewers in 2022, 18.8 million in 2023, 19.5 million in 2024 and 19.7 million in 2025.
O’Brien once again earned solid marks for his second consecutive year hosting the Oscars, so much so that Walt Disney Television’s Rob Mills, the executive vice president, unscripted and alternative entertainment who’s in charge of the Oscars telecast, told Variety on Monday morning that the job continues to be his — if the comedian, podcaster and former late night talk show host wants it.
“One Battle After Another” won six Oscars, including best picture and best director for Paul Thomas Anderson, while “Sinners” had a very strong night with four wins, including Michael B. Jordan winning best actor.
Disney still has two more years left of its deal with the Oscars, which will continue to be broadcast on ABC and Hulu in 2027 and 2028, before the Academy’s new pact with YouTube kicks in with the 101st ceremony in 2029. (YouTube has those rights after that until at least 2033.)
Source: Nielsen National Live+Same Day Big Data Plus Panel Program Ratings for 3/15/26. 2025-2026 Season (9/22/25-3/15/26). Comparisons based on Big Data Plus Panel Ratings. Talkwalker Social Content Ratings, based on linear episode-level interactions, U.S.-based activity Twitter Trending Archive