Oscars 2023: Academy Awards garner 18.7M viewers for three-year ratings high
Julia Johnson
Video Embed
The Oscars saw a three-year ratings high on Sunday night, according to early data.
The 95th Academy Awards averaged 18.7 million viewers, per early Nielsen data. The show also earned a 4.0 rating among the age 18-49 demographic on ABC.
OSCARS 2023: JIMMY KIMMEL POKES FUN AT LAST YEAR’S SLAP IN MONOLOGUE
This is a 12% increase in viewers from 2022’s ceremony, which averaged 16.62 viewers. The show also saw a 5% boost in viewers from the 18-49 demographic.
Sunday’s show also reportedly drew the largest audience of any awards show since the 2020 Oscars.
While viewership increased from 2022 and 2021, the 95th edition’s ratings were still the third smallest in Nielsen’s history of tracking.
In 2021, the event hit a record low in viewership, only averaging 10.5 million viewers and earning just a 2.2 rating among the 18-49 demographic.
Before the start of COVID-19 protection measures and lockdowns, the 2020 Oscars garnered 23.64 million viewers. This year’s numbers are the highest since.
Jimmy Kimmel returned to host the 2023 ceremony after hosting in both 2017 and 2018. In his monologue, he poked fun at the most memorable event from 2022’s show, when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. No such slapping or violence of any kind took place during Sunday’s broadcast.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Jamie Lee Curtis took home her first Oscar during the show, for best supporting actress, the first of seven awards that Everything Everywhere All at Once would rack up throughout the event.
The film was recognized for best picture, best original screenplay, best actress in a lead role, best supporting actor, best supporting actress, best director, and best editing.