Early Oscars ratings show drop in viewership from 2016

The audience for this year’s Academy Awards telecast on Sunday night was down by 4 percent from 2016, with an estimated 33 million people tuning in, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings data. 

ABC will release nationwide viewership numbers later Monday. 

The numbers continue a downward trend since the 2014 Oscars, when 43.7 million viewers tuned in to see “12 Years a Slave” awarded Best Picture.

{mosads}In 2015, 37.3 million viewers watched, and 34.3 million watched last year’s awards ceremony, hosted by Chris Rock. 

At 3 hours and 49 minutes, the 2017 Academy Awards was the longest program in 10 years. 

It will also go down as one of the most memorable — the night ended with “La La Land” incorrectly announced as the winner of Best Picture. Mid-acceptance speeches, the musical’s producers were interrupted as the mistake was discovered and “Moonlight” was revealed to be the real winner. 

2008’s Oscars, hosted by Jon Stewart, was the lowest-rated program, drawing just under 32 million viewers.