In case you haven't heard, The Oscars were on TV a few nights ago. While the event may be exciting for those who are nominated (and those who actually win), The Oscars aren’t nearly as exciting for the rest of the world. We all sit on our couches for hours, waiting for something to happen other than watching people sit in a fancy room hoping they’ll claim a trophy for being in some movie. This pattern is common of every awards show – The Grammys The Emmys, you name it. Obviously, there are people out there who look forward to awards shows; however, the amount of people that tune into these sorts of TV broadcasts has plummeted drastically. So, what is the cause of this steady decrease?
The Stats:
The Emmys: 11.9 million viewers in 2015 dropped to 11.3 million as of now
The Oscars: 43.7 million viewers in 2014 dropped to 34.4 million two years later
Examining the Drop In Viewers:
One possible reason for this sudden decrease in viewers is the fact that there are simply too many awards shows. The EGOT (Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tonys) top four awards shows are not alone. There are also several over awards shows throughout the year, such as the VMAs, the People’s Choice Awards, the BET Awards, and more.
Another cause for the rapid decrease in viewership of awards shows comes from the fact that many people don’t really watch TV anymore. Although people do continue to sit down every year to watch the Super Bowl and other sports events, most people lean towards streaming services like Netflix. Live television isn’t what it used to be, and more and more people prefer to re-watch “The Office” for a fourth time on Netflix than view The Oscars.
Awards shows may have gone out of style; however, the new digital age doesn’t stop these award shows from fighting on. If you're one of the few people that still enjoys settling on your couch, watching a three-hour-long show about people you don’t actually know claiming trophies, then keep on keeping on. Before you know it, you may be the only one around watching The Oscars.