Sunday Overnights: The Oscars on ABC Dips to An Expected Total Viewer Historical Low

SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2018

Household Rating/Share
ABC: 16.3/27, CBS: 3.1/ 5, NBC: 1.8/ 3, Fox: 1.1/ 2

-Percent Change from the Year-Ago Oscar’s Night – 2/26/17
Fox: no change, CBS: – 3, ABC: – 9, NBC: -14

-Ratings Analysis:
It was all about the “90th Annual Academy Awards” on ABC, of course, with the live telecast at an estimated 18.8 rating/30 share in the metered market households for the primetime (8-11 p.m. ET) portion. Overnight results for the Oscars in the 11-11:48 p.m. ET daypart were not available. Comparably, this was 14 percent below the 21.9 rating/35 share for the year-ago Oscar telecast (on Sunday 2/26/17), and that translated into a nine year low with 32.9 million viewers (and a 9.1 rating in adults 18-49), based on the Live+Same Day data. With that in mind, took for a total viewer tally for last night’s telecast in the vicinity of 28 to 29 million viewers.

As a benchmark, here is the total viewer track for the “Academy Awards” since 2000.

2017 — 32.9 million viewers
2016 — 34.4 million viewers
2015 — 37.3 million viewers
2014 — 43.7 million viewers
2013 — 40.4 million viewers
2012 — 39.5 million viewers
2011 — 37.9 million viewers
2010 — 41.6 million viewers

2009 — 36.9 million viewers
2008 — 31.8 million viewers

2007 — 39.9 million viewers
2006 — 38.6 million viewers
2005 — 42.2 million viewers
2004 — 43.6 million viewers

2003 — 33.0 million viewers
2002 — 40.5 million viewers
2001 — 42.9 million viewers
2000 — 46.5 million viewers

Earlier in the evening on ABC was the “Live From the Red Carpet” special at a dominant 8.7/15 in the household overnights in the 7 p.m. hour. For the full listing of winners, click here

Best picture prop bettors and movie-goers alike were surprised favorite “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” lost to “The Shape of Water.”

Elsewhere, NBC competed with an airing of 2015 theatrical “Furious 7,” which scored a mere 1.5/ 3 from 8-11 p.m. The remainder of the evening was all repeat telecasts.

What follows is the breakdown by half-hour for Sunday, March 4:

7:00 p.m.
ABC – “Live From the Red Carpet”: 7.6/14 (#1)
CBS – “60 Minutes” (R): 4.6/ 8 (#2)
NBC – “Dateline” (R): 2.8/ 5 (#3)
Fox – “Billy Graham: An Extraordinary Journey”: 1.7/ 3 (#4)

7:30 p.m.
ABC – “Live From the Red Carpet”: 9.8/17 (#1)
CBS – “60 Minutes” (R): 4.5/ 7 (#2)
NBC – “Dateline” (R): 2.6/ 4 (#3)
Fox – “Billy Graham: An Extraordinary Journey”: 1.9/ 3 (#4)

8:00 p.m.
ABC – “90th Annual Academy Awards”: 18.2/30 (#1)
CBS – “NCIS” (R): 2.8/ 4 (#3)
NBC – “Dateline” (R): 1.4/ 2 (#3)
Fox – “The Simpsons” (R): 0.9/ 1 (#4)

8:30 p.m.
ABC – “90th Annual Academy Awards”: 18.7/30 (#1)
CBS – “NCIS” (R): 3.0/ 5 (#2)
NBC – Movie: “Furious 7”: 1.6/ 3 (#3)
Fox – “Ghosted” (R): 0.7/ 1 (#4)

9:00 p.m.
ABC – “90th Annual Academy Awards”: 19.0/30 (#1)
CBS – “Bull” (R): 2.5/ 4 (#2)
NBC – Movie: “Furious 7”: 1.6/ 2 (#3)
Fox – “Family Guy” (R): 0.8/ 1 (#4)

9:30 p.m.
ABC – “90th Annual Academy Awards”: 18.9/30 (#1)
CBS – “Bull” (R): 2.6/ 4 (#2)
NBC – Movie: “Furious 7”: 1.6/ 3 (#3)
Fox – “LA to Vegas” (R): 0.7/ 1 (#4)

10:00 p.m.
ABC – “90th Annual Academy Awards”: 19.1/31 (#1)
CBS – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (R): 2.3/ 4 (#2)
NBC – Movie: “Furious 7”: 1.5/ 3 (#3)

10:30 p.m.
ABC – “90th Annual Academy Awards”: 18.8/32 (#1)
CBS – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (R): 2.2/ 4 (#2)
NBC – Movie: “Furious 7”: 1.5/ 3 (#3)