Oscars TV Ratings Up Significantly From Last Year, But Still Far From Peak

Sunday night's Academy Awards telecast on ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co. DIS, attracted 15.4 million viewers and a 3.2 rating with adults ages 18 to 49, according to data released Monday afternoon by Nielsen.

What Happened: The New York Times reported Sunday’s telecast marked a 56% upswing from the 2021 Oscar telecast, although it was still the second least-watched Oscars telecast since Nielsen began tracking viewership.

It's uncertain how much of the U.S. viewing audience bypassed the ABC telecast to watch the show on the livestreaming platforms Hulu + Live TV, Fubo TV and YouTube TV.

See Also: Apple Beats Netflix To Win Best Picture Oscar As Online Streaming Takes The Limelight

What Else Happened: Also uncertain is whether the telecast gained more viewers following the bizarre incident when Will Smith strode on the stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock after the latter made remarks about Smith’s wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, that he found derogatory.

Smith’s assault on Rock set off a firestorm on social media, which may have brought in people who were not watching the awards show but became curious to see what would happen when the Best Actor category featuring Smith was called.

Smith won the award for his “King Richard” performance and used his stage time to apologize to the Academy and his fellow nominees, but pointedly did not include Rock in his regrets.

The highest rated Oscars telecast was the 1998 show, when 55.2 million viewers watched “Titanic” dominate the ceremony. In recent years, however, entertainment industry award shows have seen their appeal diminish, with productions including the Tony Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards leaving television for streaming services after years of dwindling ratings.

Photo: Will Smith in a scene from his Oscar-winning performance in "King Richard," courtesy of Warner Bros.