It's a significant dip from last year when the show received 19.69 million viewers. The 2026 Academy Awards were watched by 17.9 million people across broadcast and Hulu, ABC reported on Monday, March 16. It’s a drop of roughly 9 percent from last year’s broadcast, which had 19.69 million viewers, and is the lowest total for the show since 2022 when it had just 16.6 million viewers. This year, like last, was hosted by Conan O’Brien, and he once again delivered a lively and funny show that