Winning an Oscar used to feel like you owned the whole culture for one night. Now it can feel like you won the biggest prize at a party that fewer people even bothered to watch. That is exactly why Elon Musk’s calling it an embarrassment landed so hard.
The Oscars Are Moving From ABC to YouTube in 2029 | THR News
The awkward truth here is that the Oscars did not suddenly get worse. The audience just moved somewhere else. This year’s show had about 17.9 million people watching in the US. That is down 9% from the year before. But social media engagement went up. That means people would rather watch clips, memes, and highlights than sit through a long live show. When you watch this video, you will see the biggest clue. The Oscars are literally planning to change where they put the show to chase where people’s attention actually is now.
That is why the reactions split so fast. Some people say the Oscar still matters inside the movie business. Careers, budgets, and respect in Hollywood do not just disappear overnight. Other people say cultural dominance is gone. There are fewer moments when everyone saw this movie together. Less shared culture. And a ceremony that has to compete with endless things to watch at home.
Here is a quick, easy-to-watch recap that shows how the Oscars now live as moments you catch later, not as a thing you have to watch live.
Our Oscars 2026 faves and flops – BBC World Service
You are right. The bigger reason an Oscar does not feel as big now is that attention is all broken up and easy to count. The Academy is putting a lot of money into global streaming like YouTube to try and get people back. Because the old days when everyone watched the same thing on TV at the same time are going away. The trophy itself did not get smaller. The audience we all shared got smaller. And that is exactly why winning can feel a lot quieter than it used to feel.