Oscars ratings continue to fall, but why?
Overall, Sunday night’s telecast ended up drawing a 18.9 household rating for the first three hours of the show — the part included in primetime. While there is going to be some room for adjustments at some point down the line, for the time being this does mark some of the lowest ratings that we’ve seen to date for an Oscars telecast.
So, what gives here? there are a few different reasons why the numbers, at least at the moment, appear to be what they are.
1. Not enough big-name movies – While Dunkirk and Get Out were big at the box office, they have also been out for a long time. Many of the other films are not familiar to the average viewer. With that, there’s less incentive to care.
2. Competition – With streaming devices, other networks, and even Black Panther now in theaters, there’s simply so much to do at the moment that the Oscars themselves are not the huge draw in the way that they once were.
3. Jimmy Kimmel – We love Kimmel as a host, but at the same exact time he did leave something to be desired only in the sense that there was nothing fresh about him hosting. It’s harder to generate buzz around a repeat host versus a fresh face.
4. The current political climate – The current us vs. them mentality in the country makes it so that there are few options for entertainment that are unifying. People who don’t agree political with the Oscar nominees are less inclined to watch than ever before, and they have plenty of places to go where their decisions are validated. The Oscars should continue to be a platform for change, but you have to be prepared that some may not like that change. What ABC and the Academy need to do are attract more viewers who may share their point of view — there are plenty out there, but they couldn’t really be bothered to watch.
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