ABC’s Sunday telecast of the 98th Oscars averaged 17.9 million viewers, ending a four-year streak of audience increases. The figure from Nielsen is down 9% from the 19.7 million viewers who watched the telecast on ABC and Hulu in 2025.

After ratings for the Oscars cratered to an all-time low of 10.5 million viewers in 2021, the event’s audience levels ticked back up in recent years. However, the show has not topped 20 million viewers since 2019. This decline is partly attributed to younger viewers preferring to watch highlights of the ceremony on social media rather than sit through the three-plus hour telecast on traditional TV.

The awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, honored *One Battle After Another* for Best Picture, Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor in *Sinners*, and Jessie Buckley for Best Actress in *Hamnet*. Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars for the second straight year.

Critics noted that the ceremony was light on political statements about former President Trump, whose name was notably absent during the telecast. One of the show’s highlights was an extended “In Memoriam” segment that gave extra tribute to legendary actor and filmmaker Robert Redford, as well as the late actor, director, and producer Rob Reiner.

ABC experienced success selling out commercial spots for the Oscars, which remains one of the most-watched non-sports telecasts of the year. However, the network will only hold the broadcasting rights for two more years. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has accepted a more lucrative offer from YouTube for the rights to the telecast starting in 2029.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2026-03-17/2026-oscars-telecast-scores-17-9-million-viewers-conan-obrien-abc-hollywood-one-battle-sinners