The underdog tale of Slumdog Millionaire and the bittersweet nomination of the deceased Heath Ledger may have had a few more people tuning in to last night's Oscar broadcast, which aired on Walt Disney's (NYSE: DIS) ABC Network. Preliminary Nielsen ratings indicate a 6% increase from last year.
The bad news? Last year marked a record low for the awards broadcast as 32 million viewers tuned in. And this year, if early numbers hold true, will be among the three least-watched Academy Awards broadcasts ever.
Why the disinterest? One theory: three of the five best-picture nominees were smaller arthouse films and may not have made it to the megaplexes of middle America. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the widest release for The Reader was 1,002 theaters; for Frost/Nixon, 1,105, and for Milk, 882. That compares to Slumdog and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which were respectively released in 2,244 and 2,988 locations. If you haven't seen most of the performances, you're less likely to tune in. Time Warner's (NYSE: TWX) The Dark Knight, once a favorite for a Best-Picture nomination, saw its widest release in 4,366 theaters.
But this can't be the only reason. After all, the blockbusters been welcomed by the Academy. Perhaps more people figured they'd catch the highlights on Hulu. Maybe rumors of leaked results (which ended up being erroneous) reduced suspense. Maybe Hugh Jackman wasn't a terribly engaging choice for host. Personally, I was just thrilled to see my favorite actress, Kate Winslet, finally score the Best Actress trophy on her sixth acting nomination. For right now, she's queen of the world.
Beth Gaston Moon works for WeSeed.com, "The stock market for the rest of us." The above comments are not intended as trading or investment advice.
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