Oscars viewership slips further than it appears due to measurement shift
TL;DR Summary
The 2026 Oscars drew 17.9 million viewers, a 9% drop from last year, but the decline is likely steeper—around 17%—after Nielsen updated its measurement to Big Data + Panel to better capture smart-TV viewing, with factors including waning Hollywood credibility, strong competition from the World Baseball Classic, and the move of premium live programming rights from ABC to YouTube.
Topics:entertainment#abc-youtube-rights#culture#nielsen-big-data-panel#oscars#oscars-ratings#world-baseball-classic
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