The 2019 Oscars got (slightly) better ratings without a host
Aux Features Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And SciencesWhen the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences decided to end the relentless parade of host-related Oscars drama by simply doing the show without one, there were concerns as to whether or not the choice would negatively impact the ratings. As it turns out, the absence of a central person to spout toothless jokes and bother the audience actually might have played a part in this year’s ratings boost. The 91st Annual Academy Awards garnered a 7.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 29.6 million viewers this past Sunday. To compare: Last year’s show only saw a 6.8 rating and 26.5 million viewers.
That’s reason enough to call this year’s event a smashing success, right? Well, not necessarily. Though they may have topped their previous year’s audience size, Sunday’s telecast was still the second lowest rated ceremony in the show’s history.
This is the second time the Oscars carried on without a host, joined only by the historically catastrophic effort in 1989. There is a possibility that the slight swell in this year’s viewership could be attributed to a morbid curiosity as to whether or not the horror could be duplicated in any way. If you counter that with a vague disinterest in a somewhat predictable slate of winners (because some of us may not have wanted to purposely tune in to see Green Book win anything, believe it or not), then you get a technical victory with so much room for improvement.
The night came with a few gems, like a highly deserved Best Animated Feature win for Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and a trio of golden statues for Black Panther’s original score, costumes, and production design. In addition, we witnessed the ultimate lesson in fashion courtesy of Billy Porter’s tuxedo gown, so there’s still a lot to applaud.
[Via Variety]
25 Comments
This was the inevitable fate of the Oscars. Neutered and pandering.
There are 29.6 million entertainment bloggers in this country?
More than that, but some of them were busy complaining on Twitter.
gig economy man
I actually think the difference would be there being 3 very popular movies up for Best Picture (Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, and A Star Is Born). I also wouldn’t say that the slate of winners was predictable at all; compared to previous years it seemed to be possible for Roma, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Green Book to win.
They’re complaining about predictable winners when we saw the biggest upset in an acting category since… I can’t even remember. Maybe in my lifetime. Nobody, and I mean nobody, expected Glenn Close to lose that award.
(puts hands up.)
I was predicting an Olivia Colman win. Like maybe it was because I’m a big fan and really wanted her to win, but she had won a few of the big awards in the lead up to the Oscars and just from what I could see there was more buzz about her performance.Glenn Close almost everyone predicting her win was saying she would win because she was due the award, wheras with Colman they were raving about her performance.
That one’s really interesting (english person here). We all wanted Olivia Colman to win because she’s utterly brilliant and a national treasure but we were reckoning it would be a 50-50 split between Close and her due to legacy. (plus way more of us went to see the Favourite ($19m) than The Wife ($2m)) It’s not like Helen Mirren for the Queen where Judi Dench didn’t even bother turning up. I think the only real upset was Green Book, and even then most of the pundits on this side of the pond were predicting Bohemian Rhapsody. And not happy about it. We were more interested in the stats than the actual result.
Some people were. I would say this was at least as shocking, but no more, than Tilda Swinton winning in 2007 or Streep in 2011 or Rylance in 2015. Nothing tops Marcia Gay Harden in 2000 though. Or Tomei in 1992 if you were watching then.
I had no idea how successful Bohemian Rhapsody was. It’s grossed over 800 million dollars globally.
It made over $100 million in Japan and over $75 million in South Korea, which is insane to me. I can’t think of a non-action movie that has come close to that kind of gross since Titanic, but even that movie is special effects heavy.
It was the champion, my friend. It kept on fighting ‘til the end.
Higher ratings are usually dependant on the popularity of movies nominated. I could actually see a best popular film category working as long as they are not pigeonholed into just the one ie. Roma being nominated for best foreign film as well as best picture
Giving Best movie to a film nobody thinks was the best movie did come as a surprise, I agree…
Though they may have topped their previous year’s audience size, Sunday’s telecast was still the second lowest rated ceremony in the show’s history.I teach African American Literature on Monday and Wednesday mornings. I came in this morning all geared up to talk about Green Book winning, Spike Lee’s reaction, Spike himself winning for Best Adapted Screenplay for BlacKkKlansman, Regina Kind winning for If Beale Street Could Talk, etc. None of my students had watched the Oscars; none had even checked online to see who won. What I’m trying to say is… well, what I’m trying to say is that it sucks being an old trying to find common ground with a bunch of 18 to 20-year-olds, but anyway, this doesn’t surprise me.
The attention of that age group is so fragmented it’s astounding. Forget monoculture, it’s almost beyond impossible to find something that commands even 10% of that generation’s interest. There’s just so much out there now. Hundreds of tv shows, movies on so many different formats, music styles that are increasingly niche. Not even counting video games, the web, and social media. I don’t mean this as a criticism, it’s just different. Twenty five years ago, even if it wasn’t your thing, you’d at least be vaguely aware of what was going on with the Oscars. Now, like you said, nothing.I like to joke there are two things that can at least get half the room’s attention, Game of Thrones and Drake. That’s it. Thing is, I’m not even joking.
oh yeah young people do not give 1 shit about awards
I teach African American Literature on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Wow. That’s an awfully specific branch of African American Literature.
Phillis Wheatley? Monday morning poems all day long. James Baldwin? Total Wednesday brunch kind of guy.
Slightly? That’s up +12% and reverses a negative trend. Pretty impressive.
Off-topic or On topic, I’m not sure, but can we please stop spending almost all of the In Memoriam segment on casting directors and publicists instead of bonafide movie stars?I was pretty pissed that they didn’t include Carol Channing, but I’m even more upset about Burt Reynolds being shown for 2 seconds in the middle of a parade of people I’ve never heard of.I realize there’s a lot of talent behind the scenes, but can’t they do that on the other awards show, the one that isn’t televised?
People tuned in to watch a 3 hour train wreck. Had to wait till the last award to find something to really complain about.
The Oscars went so well without a host that I’m already leaving offensive comments on the internet so that I can not host it next year, too.
How long before they realize that who and if hosts the Oscars has statistically insignificant affect on ratings?
In that case can we have them hosted by an Inanimate Carbon Rod next year?