To the surprise of no one…
The 93rd Academy Awards tried to cover for a lost year in film with a boatload of intrigue: A change in venue that allowed for a maskless audience, a movie-style production led by director Steven Soderbergh, and a change in format with a surprise ending. None of that could save the Oscars from turning in the lowest rated telecast in the show's history — by a sizable margin.
The prestigious awards show drew an average of 9.8 million viewers for ABC on Sunday, according to early Nielsen numbers. That's 58% below the ratings from last year's show, the previous lowest-rated Oscars, which brought in in 23.6 million viewers.