98th Oscars Viewership Drops 9% to 17.86 Million

The 98th Academy Awards, held on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, drew 17.86 million viewers across ABC and Hulu, marking a 9 percent decline from the 19.69 million who watched the previous year's ceremony. Hosted by comedian Conan O'Brien, the event celebrated achievements in film but faced criticism for its later scheduling and some political commentary, contributing to its lowest viewership since 2022.

"One Battle After Another," directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, won best picture, along with awards for best director and best adapted screenplay. "Sinners" secured four Oscars, including best actor for Michael B. Jordan and best original screenplay for Ryan Coogler. Other notable wins included best supporting actress for Amy Madison and best international feature film, presented by Javier Bardem, who used his acceptance moment to call for "no to war" and "free Palestine." The ceremony, which ran over three hours, featured presentations by figures such as Jimmy Kimmel, who referenced a documentary about former first lady Melania Trump while introducing the documentary categories, drawing mixed reactions from viewers.