Oscars Ratings Are Even Worse Than Reported. Is The WBC To Blame?

The ratings for the 2026 Oscars are even worse than reported.

The ceremony drew 17.9 million viewers on Sunday night, a 9 percent decline from last year. The drop marks the event’s first year-over-year decline since 2021.

However, the actual decrease is likely steeper.

Last August, Nielsen updated its measurement system to a new methodology called Big Data + Panel. The change was intended to better capture audiences watching live events on smart TVs. Estimates suggest the update has inflated television averages for marquee programming, including live sports, by roughly 8 percent.

In practical terms, that means the Oscars were likely down closer to 17 percent compared to 2025. A double-digit decline is significant for an event of this stature.

HOLLYWOOD - Michael B. Jordan, winner of the Best Actor Award for "Sinners", poses in the press room during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Several factors likely contributed to the drop.

For one, the Academy continues to lose credibility with mainstream audiences. Consider the 10 films nominated for Best Picture: "One Battle After Another" (winner), "Sinners," "Bugonia," "Frankenstein," "Hamnet," "Marty Supreme," "The Secret Agent," "Sentimental Value," and "Train Dreams." 

How many of those films have you seen? How many do you have an interest in watching? 

Not to mention, the event was marred by an obvious nod to the culture war, handing "Sinners" a record-breaking 16 nominations. For background, "Sinners" was championed by the race idolaters (including many in sports media) for featuring a black director, black lead, and an ending in which the heroic black characters kill all the evil white guys.

Anyway, the Academy honored "Sinners" as a cinematic achievement for its contribution to American society.

HOLLYWOOD - Michael B. Jordan and Donna Jordan attend the 98th Annual Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026. (Photo by John Shearer/98th Oscars/Getty Images The Academy via Getty Images)

The Oscars also faced unusually strong competition. The World Baseball Classic matchup between the United States and the Dominican Republic drew an average audience of 7.37 million viewers across FS1 and FOX Deportes, well exceeding expectations.

While the Oscars have gone up against sports broadcasts before, few primetime events have delivered that level of direct competition.

More broadly, public sentiment toward the celebrity class is not what it once was.  During the 2024 presidential election, a wave of Hollywood endorsements for Kamala Harris was widely viewed as ineffective, if not counterproductive.

Americans once admired celebrities. Increasingly, many now view them as fake, preachy, and grossly uninformed. That perception was reinforced last month when several award-winning musicians wore "ICE Out" pins at the Grammys. Billie Eilish also drew attention for declaring America "stolen land" while living in a multimillion-dollar Los Angeles home on, by definition, stolen land.

The Oscars will remain on ABC for two more years before moving to YouTube, marking the platform’s most aggressive push into premium live programming yet.

Prediction: ABC will not regret declining to overpay to retain the rights to the event.