The Oscars Attracts 18.07 Million Viewers, Down 7% From 2024 Broadcast

Featuring first-time host Conan O’Brien, the 97th Oscars brought in 18.07 million viewers, down approximately 7% from last year's broadcast, with a viewership of 19.5 million Total Viewers. 

However, the broadcast delivered a 3.92 rating in Adults 18-49, up +3% year over year (vs. 3.82 rating) — earning the show’s highest performance in the key adult demographic in two years (since 3/12/23). It stands as the No. 1 primetime entertainment telecast. In addition, the annual celebration delivered the show’s highest rating among Adults 18-34 (3.17 rating) in five years(since 2/9/20).

The 97th Oscars earned 104.2 million total social interactions, ranking as the No. 1 most social TV program season-to-date, outperforming both “The Grammy Awards” (102.2 million interactions) and “The Super Bowl” (62.4 million) this season for the first time on record. “The Oscars” trended globally and was the No. 1 trending topic in the U.S. on X throughout the telecast. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences saw an increase of +82% year over year in social engagement across all platforms, reaching over 64 million likes, comments and shares. The ASL livestream on The Oscars’ YouTube page has earned 1.4 million viewers. 

Finally, ESPN and ABC’s fourth annual “Oscars” Pick’em contest (1/23/25 – 3/2/25) set game records, including 110,012 unique visitors (+8% year over year) and 122,161 entries (+11% year over year).

At the ceremony, Wicked stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo opened the 97th Academy Awards with a stunning medley of songs from the world of Oz. In addition to Wicked, notable winners included Glengarry Glen Ross's Kieran Culkin, Mikey Madison, Adrien Brody, Zoe Saldana, and more. Check out the full list.

“The Oscars” took place Sunday, March 2, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The show aired live on ABC, streamed live on Hulu, and aired live in more than 200 territories worldwide. 

Photo credit: Disney/Frank Micelotta