Los Angeles, California – The 97th Academy Awards, broadcasted on ABC and Hulu on Sunday night, attracted an audience of 18.07 million viewers, according to Disney. This figure marked a slight decline compared to the previous two years. The decrease of about 7% from the 2024 broadcast, where viewership peaked at 19.5 million, was also slightly lower than the 2023 event which drew in 18.8 million viewers.
In the years leading up to the recent ceremony, the Oscars had been experiencing a significant increase in viewership. Following the hostless 2021 Oscars with an audience of 10.4 million, viewership rose notably in 2022 to 16.6 million after an incident involving actor Will Smith and presenter Chris Rock garnered attention.
Technical glitches plagued Hulu viewers throughout the night, impacting the viewing experience. Reports of users unable to access their accounts and being kicked out of the broadcast before the final categories were announced added to the challenges faced during the event.
The 2025 Oscars, with a runtime of 3 hours and 47 minutes, was considered one of the longer ceremonies in history. Despite its length, the Academy opted for an earlier start time, starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, to keep the show within prime time hours and potentially retain a larger audience.
Similar to other recent award shows, a modest decline in viewership was observed at the 97th Academy Awards. This trend aligns with the shifts experienced in the entertainment industry since the decline in viewership during 2020. The Grammys and Golden Globes saw decreases in viewership, while the Emmys experienced an increase, albeit impacted by delays due to Hollywood strikes.
Sean Baker made history at the 97th Academy Awards by winning four Oscars for his movie “Anora.” Alongside wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Editing, and Best Original Screenplay, Mikey Madison and Adrien Brody also claimed victories for Lead Actress and Actor, respectively. Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin rounded out the wins for Best Supporting Actress and Actor.