The 98th edition of the Oscars recorded the lowest audience in four years, with 17.9 million viewers in the US. This represents a 9% decline compared to 2025 and continues the downward trend that also affects the Grammys and the Golden Globes. The event competed for audience with the World Baseball Classic semifinal.
The technical challenge of multiplatform broadcasting 📡
The linear decline forces networks to optimize their streaming and social media strategies. Audience fragmentation demands technical development that integrates traditional broadcasting, on-demand platforms, and exclusive social media content into a single event. The challenge is to create a unified experience that captures metrics from all sources, as open TV data no longer reflects total reach.
The Academy implements a new algorithm to generate controversy 🤖
In the face of falling audience numbers, it seems the Academy has perfected its event management software. The algorithm, dubbed ControversyOS 1.0, is capable of generating a security incident just in time to dominate headlines the next day. Thus, while viewers leave, conversations on social media continue. A timely push is worth ten acceptance speeches.