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The 96th Academy Awards was a commercial success with a four-year ratings high of 19.5 million viewers, despite host Jimmy Kimmel's performance coming under fire after a number of poorly-received jokes and bits.
Sunday's Oscars, stemming from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, drew four percent more than last year, Nielsen numbers indicated, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
They marked the highest total since 2020's show had 23.64 million viewers, just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns began.
The 2023 Oscars - which Kimmel was lauded for commandeering as host, a year after the show was thrown into chaos with Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock in 2022 - garnered 18.76 million viewers.
Amid film industry delays, production shutdowns and adherence to social distancing guidelines, the 2021 Oscars, which aired in April of that year, garnered 10.4 million viewers.
The 96th Academy Awards was a commercial success with a four-year ratings high of 19.5 million viewers, despite host Jimmy Kimmel 's performance coming under fire after a number of poorly-received jokes and bits
Sunday's Oscars, stemming from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles , drew four percent more than last year, Nielsen numbers indicated
Sunday's show, which was driven by the dominance of the summer blockbuster Oppenheimer - sagged in the coveted viewer demographic of 18-49, according to Nielsen totals. They dropped to a 3.81 rating in 2024 from 4.03 rating in 2023.
An earlier start time Sunday, as the televised broadcast commenced at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, was cited by THR as a potential factor in the higher ratings, in addition to the focus on two high-profile projects, Oppenheimer and Barbie.
Sunday's telecast had its highest numbers in its last half-hour, according to Nielsen, with 21.9 million viewers.
The motion picture industry's most prominent night was the top-rated broadcast of awards season, edging the Grammy Awards (16.9 million viewers) and January's Golden Globe Awards (9.47 million viewers), THR reported.
Oppenheimer dominated the proceedings with seven total awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Christopher Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr.
Amid the strong numbers, Kimmel appeared to take a step back, performance-wise, in his fourth stint as host, as jokes about Downey and actress Emma Stone did not land as intended.
The ABC late night host made substance abuse jokes in reference to Downey, 58, who collected his first career Oscar Sunday, referring to his well-documented past battle with addiction.
Kimmel said, 'Robert Downey Jr., one of the highest points of his career; but Robert has been ...' at which point Downey pointed to his face.
Amid the strong numbers, Kimmel appeared to take a step back, performance-wise, in his fourth stint as host, as jokes about Downey and actress Emma Stone did not land as intended.
The ABC late night host made substance abuse jokes in reference to Downey, 58, referring to his well-documented past battle with addiction. Pictured with wife Susan, 50
Kimmel also appeared to irritate Poor Things actress Emma Stone, 35, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the sex-driven motion picture
In another sequence that received mixed reviews, Kimmel had John Cena emerge on the stage naked in a nostalgic nod to the David Niven streaker incident of 1974
Kimmel added, 'Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made? But look at him, he's so handsome, so talented, he's won every award there is to win.
'Is that an acceptance speech in your pocket or do you just have a very rectangular penis?'
Kimmel also appeared to irritate Poor Things actress Emma Stone, 35, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the sex-driven motion picture.
He said of a sequence of film that was seen in a compilation of clips on the show: 'Those were all the parts of Poor Things that we’re allowed to show on TV,' with speculation online ensuing that Stone had called the comedian a a 'p***k.'
In another sequence that received mixed reviews, Kimmel had WWE star-action film staple John Cena, 46, emerge on the stage naked in a nostalgic nod to the David Niven streaker incident of 1974.