There were a lot of memorable moments from the 92nd Annual Academy Awards last night (February 9), however none were enough to get many cinephiles to actually tune in. In short, the 2020 Oscars ceremony ended up being the biggest ratings dud in the show’s 91-year history.
Richard Harbaugh – Handout/A.M.P.A.S. Getty Images
Even with Parasite achieving a historic “Best Picture” win, an unexpected performance of “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, Brad Pitt finally getting his roses in the “Best Supporting Actor” category, Spike Lee paying homage to Kobe Bryant with his red carpet look (seen above) and a very, very surprising appearance from Blac Chyna, the 2020 Oscars still bowed out with record-low ratings tallied at about 23.6 million viewers and a 5.3 rating among adults 18-49. Compared to the 2019 ceremony, which garnered 29.56 million and a 7.7 rating, the 6 million deficit unfortunately continued a ratings slide that has been occurring for years now. Some blame it on the timing, as the show aired for over three hours, ending at 11:32 PM ET, and was broadcasted weeks earlier than past ceremonies. This also marks the second year in a row that the Academy Awards went without a host, and it was also filled with music monologues that had many (i.e. Billie Eilish) frowning in disappointment.
What do you think was the reason the 2020 Oscars failed in terms of ratings? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments.