(Los Angeles) Oscars viewership surged for the second year in a row, with 18.7 million viewers watching the wacky comedy triumph live Everything Everywhere All At OnceABC television announced on Monday.
This represents an increase of 12% compared to the ceremony last year, during which Will Smith made headlines by slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage.
The rebound is therefore continuing slowly for the Oscars, which hit rock bottom during the pandemic.
In 2021, the audience had collapsed by more than half during a minimalist ceremony marked by health restrictions, to reach a historic low with only 9.85 million viewers.
This year, the return of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, a safe bet as master of ceremonies, and the presence of an innovative film like Everything Everywhere All At Once alongside real blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick And Avatar: The Way of Waterraised hopes of renewed interest in the Oscars.
This bullish trend is good news for organizers. Because for years, award ceremonies have struggled to generate as much attention as before, in the face of competition from streaming platforms and social networks.
Sunday’s audience, however, remains the third lowest in the history of the ceremony.
The evening, which featured musical performances from Rihanna and Lady Gaga, was generally acclaimed by critics.
The absence of onstage violence made it possible to focus on the many touching speeches of tearful winners. The stars ofEverything Everywhere All At Oncewho won three of the four actor statuettes, seemed truly overwhelmed by their awards.
THE HollywoodReporter thus salutes an edition “fortunately not very dramatic, but very moving”. Likewise, the magazine variety found the show “tasteful”.
But the total absence of surprises did not please the New York Times. The daily yawns in front of a ceremony reduced to “an innocuous exercise” which “scrupulously adhered to the script”.
The ceremony turned into a triumph for Everything Everywhere All At Oncewinner of seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for its star Michelle Yeoh.
The figures released by ABC on Monday are preliminary. The final hearings are to be released on Tuesday.