The 2025 Oscar Awards achieved their highest viewership in five years, with 19.96 million viewers across ABC and Hulu, according to Nielsen’s final data.
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This represents a slight increase of 1% compared to the previous edition, which recorded 19.5 million viewers. This growth is notable in contrast to Disney’s early reports, which estimated 18.07 million viewers, a difference the company attributed to changes in content consumption patterns.
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Despite the increase, the ceremony was the subject of controversies and criticisms, especially due to the surprise of some nominations and exclusions, such as the absence of Nicole Kidman.
Controversies and Technical Problems at the Gala
Although the 97th edition of the Oscars showed growth in viewership, the ceremony was marked by several criticisms. Some media outlets labeled the event, hosted by Conan O’Brien, as “boring” while the 3-hour and 47-minute duration caused discontent among viewers.
Additionally, a technical issue with Hulu’s service left thousands of subscribers unable to stream at a crucial moment during the ceremony, right after Sean Baker won for Best Director. Hulu apologized for the incident and promised a full replay.
Despite the audience rebound from the low level of 2021, the ceremony was not free from criticism, such as that from columnist Maureen Callahan, who labeled the awards as “the worst awards show ever”, criticizing Hollywood’s disconnection from its audience.