• To put Sunday’s numbers into context, the 2022 Oscars averaged 16.7 million viewers, going up 58% over the telecast’s all-time low in 2021 of 10.5 million viewers.
• The 94th Academy Awards ratings explosion was most likely aided by images and reports that surfaced on social media of Will Smith walking up on stage and slapping Chris Rock in the face, as previously reported.
• However, Sunday’s numbers for ABC are still dismal compared to the show pre-pandemic in 2019 which had nearly 30 million people tune in to watch their favorite stars and see which films would win.

Tagged: Hollywood