2022 Oscars See Second-Lowest Ratings in History Despite Will Smith Incident

Will Smith (R) hit Chris Rock as Rock spoke on stage during the 94th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif., on March 27, 2022. Brian Snyder/Reuters

Sunday night’s 94th Academy Awards drew higher numbers of viewers than last year’s Oscars, but it still drew the second-lowest ratings in its history.

The 2022 Oscars, which was aired on Disney-owned ABC, is estimated to have drawn 15.4 million viewers and had a rating of 2.9 among adults 18 to 49, according to Deadline Hollywood, citing Nielsen. It represents a 56 percent increase in viewership over the 2021 awards show.