Academy Awards viewership dipped to its lowest level since 2008 in a year where the movie industry's ability to reflect the nation's diversity was a central issue.
The Nielsen company said Monday preliminary estimates showed 34.3 million people watched Sunday night's telecast, where "Spotlight" won best picture. Last year's show was seen by 37.3 million people.
Since 1990, only two Academy Awards telecasts had fewer viewers: in 2008, when "No Country For Old Men" won best picture, and in 2004, when "Chicago" was honored. The peak came when "Titanic" won a boatload of awards in 1998 and 55 million people tuned in.
The paucity of minority nominees this year led to calls for a boycott among some black stars, including Jada Pinkett Smith and Spike Lee. But Nielsen did not immediately have any ethnic breakdown of Oscar viewership. Generally, the popularity of movies being honored tends to be the More