The 2021 Oscars Were the Least Watched in the Show's History
Sunday's Academy Awards were the least watched in the broadcast history of the Oscars, with only 9.8 million viewers tuning to watch the ceremony.

- The 2021 Oscars were the least watched ever, CNN reports.
- Only 9.8 million people tuned in, a 58 percent drop from last year's show.
- The 2021 Oscars have replaced the 2020 Oscars as the least viewed in the show's broadcast history.
Well, this is unfortunate: Sunday's Academy Awards were the least watched in the broadcast history of the show, with only 9.8 million viewers tuning in on ABC, as CNN reports. That's a 58 percent drop from the previous least watched Oscars: Last year's ceremony, which attracted 23.6 million viewers. Sounds...not ideal!
As CNN notes, the Oscars did their best to attract a bigger audience despite the difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, enlisting Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Collins, and Stacey Sher to produce the show and utilizing the new venue of Union Station to allow attendees to appear maskless. Soderbergh had a clear vision for the ceremony: "It’s going to feel like a movie in that there’s an overarching theme that’s articulated in different ways throughout the show. So the presenters are essentially the storytellers for each chapter," he told the Associated Press.
Soderbergh added.
But alas, the Oscars couldn't out-direct the pandemic: As Vulture notes, the show encountered an "unprecedented scenario" in which most viewers had little to no opportunity to see the nominated movies in theaters. What's more, as Vulture reports, award shows in general are doing pretty badly of late, with the positively-reviewed Grammys and the less positively-reviewed Golden Globes losing 53 percent and 62 percent of their viewers respectively in 2021.
We'll have to wait another year to see if award shows as a whole can somehow reverse their drastic decline in viewership. Let's hope, at least, that the 2022 Oscars don't repeat this year's extremely anticlimactic ending.
RELATED STORIES
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.
-
The Only Sane Character in A24's Bromance Movie 'Friendship' Is the Female Lead—and That's By Design
The comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson seems to agree that there’s humor to be found in the male loneliness epidemic.
-
Deepika Padukone Is Living the Dream
The global superstar has conquered film, fashion, and business, but her newest role might be the one she's had her sights on the longest: motherhood. Here, the actress opens up about how having a daughter has re-centered her universe.
-
The Cast of 'Another Simple Favor' Spills All in a Game of 'Mixed Drink'
The stars and their castmates joined us for a game of 'Mixed Drink' at the premiere of the comedy sequel.
-
In 'Sinners,' Music From the Past Liberates Us From the Present
In its musical moments, Ryan Coogler's vampire blockbuster makes a powerful statement about Black culture, ancestry, and art.
-
The Best Fairy Tale Movies of All Time
Princesses, mermaids, and true love's kiss, oh my!
-
After 25 Years, 'The Virgin Suicides' Is Still Influencing Artists Like Me
To coincide with the film's anniversary, Mia Berrin from Pom Pom Squad reflects on what it's meant to her artistic journey.
-
Youn Yuh-jung Poured Her Heart Into 'The Wedding Banquet'
The Oscar winner shares why the LGBTQ+ rom-com hit close to home and the message she hopes it sends to ''conservative'' Koreans.
-
In 'Opus,' Cult Leaders and Pop Stars Are One in the Same
The A24 film's costume and production designers open up about crafting fictional pop icon Moretti’s style and mysterious estate.