The Oscars attracted more viewers than initially reported, according to Disney, which made the announcement on Tuesday after including viewers who tuned in via mobile phones and laptops.
Initially, the company—which owns ABC and Hulu—had reported a decline in ratings for the awards show, which saw the indie film Anora win several accolades.
However, Disney revealed that an additional 1.6 million people watched the show on mobile devices, raising the total viewership for the night to 19.69 million.
“As viewing habits continue to evolve, we expect to see a greater variance between initial estimates and final figures,” said a Disney spokesperson.
“This year’s Oscars broadcast saw significant growth among younger viewers, particularly from mobile and PC platforms, which wasn’t captured in the initial numbers.”
The revised figure now makes this year’s Oscars the most-watched in five years. The ceremony, which was streamed live for the first time, faced technical difficulties that prevented some viewers from seeing the final awards.
The adjusted figure surpasses last year’s early ratings of 19.5 million, which also saw Oppenheimer dominate the evening and featured live performances from the hit film Barbie. During the pandemic, viewership dropped as low as 10.4 million.
A decade ago, the Academy Awards often attracted over 40 million viewers.
