AceShowbiz - The Oscars ceremony aired on ABC and Hulu drew 17.86 million viewers this year, marking a 9 percent decline from last year's 19.69 million audience. This figure represents the lowest ratings for the awards show in four years, despite still leading all primetime entertainment broadcasts during the 2025-26 TV season.

The broadcast earned a 3.92 rating among adults aged 18-49, a key demographic for advertisers. Although it outpaced competing award shows such as the Grammys, which attracted 14.41 million viewers, and the Golden Globes, which saw 8.66 million viewers, the dip in viewership follows four consecutive years of growth after the 2021 ceremony’s COVID-impacted low of just 10.4 million viewers.

This year's event was hosted by Conan O'Brien and highlighted notable winners including Paul Thomas Anderson, who took home Best Director for One Battle After Another, which also earned Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay awards. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his role in Sinners, which also secured Best Original Screenplay, credited to Ryan Coogler.

The ceremony featured a live rendition of "Golden" from the Best Animated Feature winner KPop Demon Hunters and a heartfelt tribute to the late Rob Reiner. Despite the drop in ratings, the event maintained its status as a major televised spectacle.

Looking ahead, ABC’s tenure as the Oscars broadcaster is set to end in 2029, when the awards will transition to YouTube under a streaming deal extending through at least 2033.