OK, the “La La Land”-“Moonlight” thing happened — now let’s talk about how the 2017 Oscars performed in TV ratings.
Jimmy Kimmel’s turn Sunday on ABC landed a 22.4 rating in Nielsen’s overnight numbers, which count 56 metered markets. That’s down 4.3 percent from last year’s very preliminary numbers, when Chris Rock hosted.
In 2016, the 88th Academy Awards dipped 6 percent to an eight-year low. That version received a 23.4 household rating/36 share from 8:30 p.m. ET to midnight.
Those early numbers last year eventually translated into 34.3 million total viewers, which was down 6.2 percent versus 2015. That represents the third fewest eyeballs since Nielsen began electronically tracking in 1992.
This year’s final tally will be out by 3 p.m. ET/noon PT today, so stayed bookmarked to TheWrap.
Rock’s turn remained a little closer to its predecessor in the key 18-49 demographic, posting a 10.4 to 2015’s 10.8. Of course, it’s not like the 87th annual Academy Awards — with host Neil Patrick Harris — did gangbusters either. In other words, the Oscars continue their slide — but film’s biggest celebration remains one of the biggest broadcasts of the year, every year.