The Oscars desperately needed an increase in audience after a low rate recorded last year. On a night when Will Smith surprised spectators and the world by hitting Chris Rock on stage, some 15,36 millions of Americans tuned in to the biggest gala in Hollywood.
The preliminary audience figures, revealed by ABC this Monday, represent a significant recovery from last year's record of 9.85 million live viewers, although they remain the second lowest in the history of the Academy Awards.
The moment when Smith hit comedian Rock for talking about his wife's hair loss immediately went viral on the Internet, releasing countless memes and opinions both defending and condemning who later won the award for best actor.
The recovery in ratings is similar to that of other awards galas, such as the television Emmys in September and the recent awards ceremonies of the Actors Guild.
Many awards galas were forced to hold virtual or low-profile ceremonies in 2021 due to the pandemic, and won unusually low audiences.
Last year's Oscar figures fell by around 50% from the previous ceremony, of 23.6 million, which was already an all-time low, as the awards galas struggle to remain relevant in an era marked by the influence of social media and binge-watching on streaming networks.
The producers of the Academy this year resorted to (harshly criticized) innovations such as pre-recording the announcements of the winners in various categories of the less stellar Oscars, and the addition of a “fan favorite” award for a film voted by Twitter users.
Sunday night's show also ended with a historic victory for CODA, which featured a mostly deaf cast, and was the first triumph of a streaming service as best film.
But it was an unscripted and highly controversial moment that created the topic of conversation for the Oscars on Sunday, when Smith took to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock over a joke comparing his wife Jada Pinkett Smith to the character G.I. Jane.
Pinkett Smith suffers from alopecia, a disease that causes hair loss.
(With information from AFP)
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