An Oscar statue is displayed on the red carpet during the Oscars arrivals at the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 27, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake
About 13.7 million people watched a drama-filled Oscars, an increase from last year and a boost to an awards show whose audience has been in steep decline.
The ratings are preliminary and will change as audiences on the West Coast and online are counted. But the numbers are an improvement from a year ago, when a pared-down version of the event drew 10.5 million viewers, a drop of more than half.
Sunday night’s telecast will perhaps be best remembered for actor Will Smith smacking comedian Chris Rock on live television minutes before winning the best actor Oscar. The incident overshadowed a milestone in Hollywood history, the first time a movie released primarily online won best picture. "CODA,” which took home the top prize, was released on the streaming service Apple TV+.
The peak of 55.2 million viewers occurred in 1998, when the blockbuster "Titanic” was the big winner.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, which runs the awards, handed out eight trophies before the main event in an attempt to shorten the live ceremony. It still ran for more than three hours. Other attempts at broadening the audience included more presenters from the world of sports and music.
