An estimated 19.5 million people watched the 2024 Oscars on ABC, up 4% from the 18.7 million who watched in 2023. However, viewership is still below pre-pandemic levels and far below the heights of over 50 million in the late 90s. Movies like "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" being box office hits may have provided a small bump to ratings compared to recent years. The viewership peaked in the final half-hour when major awards like Best Picture were presented. Factors like streaming and fewer broadly popular films have led to declines in live TV viewership.
