{"id":2340800,"date":"2026-03-22T11:03:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2340800"},"modified":"2026-03-22T11:03:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:03:24","slug":"why-are-oscars-ratings-declining-how-the-fandom-has-shifted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/why-are-oscars-ratings-declining-how-the-fandom-has-shifted\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Oscars Ratings Declining? How The Fandom has Shifted"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Oscars 2026 ratings just hit a four-year low. Do we just not care about Hollywood anymore \u2013 or have they just never taken the time to truly care about us?<\/p>\n<p>OPINION<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, about 18 million people around the world tuned in to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/?s=oscars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">watch the 98th Academy Awards<\/a> \u2013 down nine percent from last year. Crazy to think that just 10 years ago, more than 34 million people had their eyes glued to the TV to watch the Oscars.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m one of those people who stopped tuning in \u2013 because a) I don\u2019t have a Disney+ subscription to watch it and b) I no longer watch nearly enough movies to even know who to root for.<\/p>\n<p>But I do know that Michael B Jordan won best actor and the internet felt zero remorse for his contender, Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, because of his snide remarks against opera and ballet. That the Oscars got intense backlash for cutting off KPop Demon Hunters songwriter Yu Han Lee during his acceptance speech. (The man had a piece of paper with him, for crying out loud! Let him finish!) That actor Javier Bardem declared \u201cNo to war and free Palestine\u201d while presenting an award.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&#039;KPop Demon Hunters&#039; Oscar Winner FINISHES Speech After Being Cut Off\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/33rdwzgP_yc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>How? All thanks to social media. I LOVE watching snippets of the Oscars that are relevant, and I also love it when creators give their hot-takes, opinions, or even just simply react to it with memes. And so do millions of others.<\/p>\n<p>While the TV ratings tanked, social media impressions during the ceremony were actually <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/awards\/awards\/oscars-ratings-17-9-million-down-1236691799\/#:~:text=ABC%20also%20reported%20that%20social%20impressions%20were%20up%20%2B42.4%25%20this%20year%20(184%2C314%2C3702)%20and%20Academy%20social%20platforms%20were%20up%20to%2021.6%20million%20this%20year%20vs.%2019.7%20million%20last%20year%2C%20including%20more%20than%20129%20million%20video%20views%20throughout%20the%20night.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">up 42%, hitting more than 181 million, according to ABC<\/a>. In the past year alone, Youtube said there have been more than <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.youtube\/culture-and-trends\/oscars-2026-youtube-creator-trends\/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20over%20the%20past%2012%20months%2C%20there%20were%20more%20than%203%20billion%20views%20and%20250%2C000%20uploads%20of%20videos%20related%20to%20the%20Oscars.*\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">three billion views of Oscar-related content<\/a> on its platform.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not really that the audience doesn\u2019t care about the Oscars anymore (okay, maybe there\u2019s a little truth to that) \u2013 but it\u2019s also about how we consume content, and what we want, has drastically changed.<\/p>\n<p>And the Academy knows this because in 2029, it\u2019s moving the Oscars from ABC \u2013 its home since 1976 \u2013 to YouTube.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Oscars Can\u2019t Seem to Read the Room\u2026 But Can Hollywood?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gff-payload-cms.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/GFF_Nostradamus_2025_DIGITAL_pages%201.pdf\">2025 Nostradamus report<\/a>, published by Sweden\u2019s G\u00f6teborg Film Festival, says \u201cHollywood itself may be losing significance as a cultural idea\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It attributes America\u2019s weakening global mainstream appeal to the \u201cpolitical realities\u201d in the country, which then gives room for storytelling from other voices. (The section of the report is aptly named \u2018Sunset Hollywood, Hello World\u2019).<\/p>\n<p>And honestly? I do agree with this. There\u2019s the rise of competition from other parts of the world now, something that Hollywood probably didn\u2019t see coming. Korean film and TV has expanded globally \u2013 Parasite won Best Picture in 2020, Squid Games became Netflix\u2019s most-watched series and at this year\u2019s Oscars, \u201cGolden\u201d from KPop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song.<\/p>\n<p>Audiences now have access to storytelling with strong social commentary, something more relevant to them, or just simply beyond the \u201cAmerican dream\u201d \u2013 which somehow always involved a house with a white picket fence or a high-paying job at a marketing or media agency in NYC. <\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s really losing relevance is the idea of the Hollywood A-Lister \u2013 the too-shiny, too-perfect headline-grabber that, once upon a time could sell the socks off a magazine simply by having a new haircut. <\/p>\n<p>It would also be remiss of me not to mention there\u2019s a distrust towards Hollywood now. What with the rolling cycle of scandals that have emerged in the recent decade \u2013 Weinstein, the Diddy allegations, Dan Schneider allegations (the Nickelodeon producer facing allegations on the mistreatment of child actors like Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell), and most recently, the absolute shit show that is the Epstein files.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know about you, but this aspirational, glitz and glam, picture-perfect image I once had of Hollywood is well and truly gone. Its days of gatekeeping clout are numbered \u2013 if it hasn\u2019t fully gone yet.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>But GOOD STORIES Still SELL<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>If Hollywood actually reads the room, they can produce movies that make people go to the cinema.<\/p>\n<p>There was Crazy Rich Asians in 2018 \u2013 absolutely life-changing for an Asian girlie like me to see representation on the big screen. The film had a $30 million budget yet it grossed $238 million worldwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In 2023, Greta Gerwig\u2019s reimagination of Barbie \u2013 a symbol that used to be so out of touch of what a woman should be and made it relatable to today\u2019s audience \u2013 grossed $1.4 billion in the box office. Critics (including myself) still think the Academy snubbed this movie, after Greta didn\u2019t win Best Director and Margot Robbie lost Best Actress.<\/p>\n<p>For 2025, Ryan Coogler\u2019s Sinners grossed $369 million worldwide and picked up <strong>four Oscars, <\/strong>including Autumn Durald Arkapaw \u2013 the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/best-cinematography-2026-oscars-6abf6bd6157d566be40e166fc40c6cbf\">first ever female to win Best Cinematography<\/a> in 98 years!<\/p>\n<p>On TV, Netflix\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/do\/television-and-movies\/shows-like-adolescence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adolescence<\/a> became the streamer\u2019s best-performing limited series ever. No A-list actors. Each episode shot in single continuous takes. But it tackled one of the most pressing issues of this generation \u2013 the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/think\/inside-the-manosphere\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">manosphere<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This year, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/do\/television-and-movies\/nine-reasons-you-really-need-to-watch-heated-rivalry-stat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Heated Rivalry<\/a> made its debut with two unknown actors. Who knew a Canadian queer hockey romance would be the next thing all the straight women would be obsessed with! But its fan-driven social media campaign is what made it one of HBO Max\u2019s biggest shows yet.<\/p>\n<p>What sets these storytellers apart is that they\u2019re culturally resonant. They know exactly who these stories are for, making it easier to tap into these communities.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Fandoms Want Something Real, Attainable and Relational <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Like I mentioned earlier, people are over this unattainable image that Hollywood projects. As cheesy, overused, or cringey as this sounds, audiences do want something authentic now.<\/p>\n<p>But they also want to feel they have a relationship with their \u201cidols\u201d, for better or for worse.<\/p>\n<p>Enter \u2018parasocial\u2019 relationships \u2013 it was so culturally relevant that Cambridge Dictionary named it its 2025 Word of the Year.<\/p>\n<p>Parasocial relationships are a one-sided emotional bond you feel with someone you\u2019ve never met \u2013 particularly celebrities. (Like if you cried when <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/be\/sex-and-relationships\/taylor-swift-engaged\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Taylor Swift got engaged<\/a>. Or feel overprotective around criticisms against BTS.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Taylor Swift and BTS are celebrities that still hold genuine cultural power because they know how to build on the parasocial relationships with their fandom. Taylor leaves Easter Eggs into every album for her fans to decode; her Eras Tour had its own dress codes and friendship bracelets. BTS built ARMY as a globally coordinated fandom with its own <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/music\/bts-most-generous-moments\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">philanthropic<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5912998\/bts-army\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">streaming<\/a> strategies. They\u2019ve built engaged communities that make their fans feel a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n<p>Kimberly S Reed said it perfectly in her <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture-council\/articles\/leadership-reset-why-culture-will-be-real-celebrity-2026-1235485103\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rolling Stones piece<\/a>: \u201cPeople are not choosing where to work, where to spend or what to support based on hierarchy, tradition or reputation anymore. They are choosing based on one fundamental question: \u2018Do I feel like I belong here?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>__________________________________<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the Author<\/strong>: <\/h4>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"438\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/02\/About-the-Author-Vivien.jpg.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-39604\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9864937046928653;width:184px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/02\/About-the-Author-Vivien.jpg.webp 438w, https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/02\/About-the-Author-Vivien-296x300.jpg.webp 296w, https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/wp-content\/smush-webp\/2026\/02\/About-the-Author-Vivien-300x304.jpg.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 438px) 100vw, 438px\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<p><h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Vivien Beduya is a video journalist and content creator at Capsule. She\u2019s most passionate about inclusive storytelling that centres underserved communities, women\u2019s health, mental health, travel, food and the ways technology shapes our everyday lives. She made a bold (and terrifying) career switch to journalism in her late 20s after years across banking, insurance and travel.<\/h5>\n<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">She\u2019s worked for NewstalkZB and TVNZ\u2019s youth news platform Re: News, and has also been published on 1News, NZ Herald, and Stuff. She was selected by the Asia New Zealand Foundation as an emerging journalist for the Splice Beta 2025 delegation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Vivien lives in Auckland with her partner, close(ish) to the beach, and is always on the hunt for Auckland\u2019s best affordable eats.<\/h5>\n<p>You can read other stories by Vivien <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/author\/vbeduya\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/author\/kelly-bertrand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> or email her <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/think\/celebrity\/why-are-oscars-ratings-declining\/mailto:vivien@capsulenz.com\" type=\"mailto\" id=\"https:\/\/capsulenz.com\/think\/celebrity\/why-are-oscars-ratings-declining\/mailto:vivien@capsulenz.com\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source capsulenz.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Oscars 2026 ratings just hit a four-year low. Do we just not care about Hollywood anymore \u2013 or have they just never taken the time to truly care about us? OPINION On Monday, about 18 million people around the world tuned in to watch the 98th Academy Awards \u2013 down nine percent from last [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2340801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25173],"tags":[307568],"class_list":["post-2340800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artists","tag-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Why-Are-Oscars-Ratings-Declining-How-The-Fandom-has-Shifted.webp.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2340800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2340802,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2340800\/revisions\/2340802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2340801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2340800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2340800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2340800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}