March 1st, 2024, Hoang Nguyen
The 96th Oscars is nearly a week away, with Jimmy Kimmel returning as host for the fourth time on March 10th, 2024.
This year’s awards show boasts a diverse range of nominees, with leading contenders including Oppenheimer, Poor Things, and Barbie for Best Picture, Bradley Cooper (Maestro), Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers) and Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) for Best Actor and Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Emma Stone (Poor Things) for Best Actress.
Beyond the individual awards, the Oscars hold a unique position in the film industry. Winning an Oscar can potentially boost a film’s viewership, as revealed in YouGov’s latest opinion poll. Known as the “Oscar bump”, this phenomenon highlights the sway the awards ceremony holds over viewership behaviors.
The Oscars is also not without its controversies. In past years, the ceremony has faced criticism for its lack of diversity and representation, both in terms of nominees and voting body, and most recently, has come under fire for being too “woke”. Additionally, the show’s length, the content of acceptance speeches and the overall entertainment value have all sparked debate among viewers.
To gain insights into these various aspects, YouGov surveyed US adults, with a focus on Oscars viewers, about their perceptions of the annual event. Here’s the full breakdown of key findings:
Viewing intent and watching habits
Overall, 32% of US adults report always or occasionally watching the Academy Awards. There’s a generation divide in viewership, however. Adults aged 45-64 are the most likely demographic to say they tune in, with 39% reporting consistent or occasional viewership. Conversely, younger adults aged 18-29 are the least likely group, with only 24% saying they watch the Oscars at the same frequency.
We asked people who say they consistently or occasionally watch the Oscars (i.e, Oscars viewers) how they usually tune in and 72% say they do so live. Roughly one in 10 (13%) say they watch it back from a recording and a similar share (12%) watch highlights on social media or somewhere online.
Looking specifically at this year’s ceremony, 28% of US adults express interest in watching, rising to 79% among those who report having watched consistently or occasionally in previous years.
The Oscars viewing experience lends itself to being a social experience. When it comes to company, 65% of those who plan to watch the 2024 Oscars intend to do so with family and friends while only three in 10 (30%) say they’ll watch alone.
Consumer perceptions of the Oscars
The Oscars is a cultural touchstone for many and serves as one measure of cinematic excellence. Even putting movies aside, there are still plenty of topics surrounding the Oscars to talk about, including views around acceptance speeches, interest in red carpet outfits, general impression of the host and behaviors around betting to name a few.
Jimmy Kimmel as host
- Jimmy Kimmel enjoys a 35% favorability rating among all US adults, with 28% holding a negative view of him.
- Most Oscars viewers see him favorably, with 62% saying they have a positive impression of Jimmy Kimmel and 15% reporting having a negative impression.
The Oscars box office bump
- 29% of US adults say they would be more likely to watch a movie they haven’t seen before if it won an Oscar, rising to 59% among Oscars viewers.
- 57% of US adults say a movie winning an Oscar would have no impact on their likelihood to watch it.
Social commentary in acceptance speeches
- There’s an ongoing debate about the role celebrities play in social discourse, especially at high-profile events. Two in five (40%) US adults think it is appropriate for winners to address social or political issues in their acceptance speeches at awards shows such as the Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys.
- This figure rises to 60% among Oscars viewers, indicating that most of this audience believes it's okay for celebrities to use their platform at these events to speak their mind.
- Conversely, 48% of US adults consider it inappropriate to do so at these events, including a third (34%) of Oscars viewers.
Show length
- In recent years, the average Oscars awards show ran a duration of 3.5 hours. A slim majority (53%) of Oscars viewers believe that’s simply too long while roughly a third (36%) say that’s the ideal length. Just 5% believe it is too short.
Expectations for awards show ads
- High-profile events tend to draw plenty of advertisers given the chance for brand exposure. For instance, 52% of US adults say they look forward to Super Bowl commercials. There's a fair level of expectation for standout advertising during award shows such as the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys too.
- 49% of Oscars viewers say they expect commercials during awards shows to be more entertaining than usual.
Red carpet fashion
- Among those who always or occasionally watch the Oscars, 58% reported having some interest in the red carpet outfits worn by celebrities, including 18% who said it is one of their top interests.
Betting on the Oscars
- With the number of winners to be decided each year, 13% of Oscars viewers report having participated or planning to participate in bets/predictions on what and who will each category.
Methodology
YouGov polled 1,000 US adults age 18+ online on February 26th, 2024. The survey was carried out through YouGov Surveys, Self-serve. Data is weighted by age, gender, race, political affiliation, education level and region with quotas on age. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Self-serve.