The 93rd Academy Awards were broadcast live on TV last Sunday. A report by Reuters, which cited data from broadcaster ABC and audience measurement company Nielsen, said that about 18.7 million people in the US watched it. This represents a 12% increase from last year’s viewership of 16.7 million people. Despite this increase, this year’s Oscars ranks as the third lowest on record for the ceremony, which is not surprising given that audiences have increasingly favoured social media and streaming over traditional TV, leading to drops in viewership for many award ceremonies over the years.
In order to watch Titanic win the awards, 57 million people reportedly tuned in to the highest-rated Academy Awards telecast, which reportedly occurred 25 years ago. The Oscars generated 27.4 million interactions across Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube this year, and they dominated the global trending topics on Twitter throughout the broadcast.
Asian Representation Dominates the Awards
Asian representation at the Oscars increased this year, with Asians sweeping the board. The American absurdist comedy-drama film Everything Everywhere All at Once won one of the most notable awards in 2022. The film won seven awards, including best film and best director. Michelle Yeoh, a Malaysian native, also took home the Best Actress prize, making history as the first Asian to do so. Her victory caused a stir on social media, with many wishing the star luck and praising her for opening doors for Asians on such a big stage.
Aside from Everything Everywhere All At Once, the Oscars saw the awarding of two first-ever Indian-produced works: The Elephant Whisperers, a Tamil documentary on Netflix, won best short documentary, and “Naatu Naatu”, a Telugu movie, for best original song.
Disney Sells Out Ad Inventory
The information came out soon after Disney Advertising said it had sold all of its Oscars inventory, which was shown on ABC this past weekend, for slightly less money than in 2022. The company reportedly charged between US$1.6 million and US$2.1 million for 30 seconds of airtime, and it sold out of ad inventory from a remarkably wide range of brands and advertisers across 15 categories, according to several media outlets like Deadline and Yahoo Entertainment. One of these companies was Hulu, which was an alternative to Disney, Universal, Sony, Warner Bros., Amazon, Snapchat, and Paramount+. But news stories say that companies like Pfizer, Rolex, and Verizon were some of the biggest advertisers.
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While this year’s Oscars saw an increase in viewership and social media buzz, it still ranks as one of the lowest-rated ceremonies on record. However, the increase in Asian representation and historic wins for Telugu and Tamil films highlights the importance of diversity and inclusivity in Hollywood. Additionally, the sell-out of ad inventory by Disney Advertising suggests that the Oscars are still a significant advertising opportunity for brands, despite the shift in viewership from traditional TV to social media and streaming.
