The television ratings are in for The Oscars, and it seems like Will Smith’s “slap heard round the world” helped provide a big boost in viewership.
The 2022 Academy Awards drew 13.73 million viewers last night, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Meanwhile, ABC said its fast national numbers totaled 15.36 viewers.
“Those stats would mark a 56 percent jump over last year’s Oscars audience, according to the network,” The Hill wrote.
Considering last year’s Oscars drew less than 10 million viewers, this is a massive uptick for the annual awards show.
Oscars sees rating bump as slap reverberates worldwide https://t.co/43AwVLMqxX pic.twitter.com/sctFlntWXP
— The Hill (@thehill) March 28, 2022
The highlight (or lowlight) of the evening was when Smith, who would go on to win “Best Actor,” walked onstage to confront comedian Chris Rock, who had made jokes about Smith’s wife.
The 53-year-old actor slapped Rock across the face, stunning those in attendance and anyone watching at home.
“Keep my wife’s name out of your f—–g mouth,” Smith could be heard yelling after he returned to his seat.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement this afternoon condemning Smith’s actions and announcing it would be conducting a formal review into the incident.
The post Look: TV Ratings Are In For The 2022 Oscars appeared first on The Spun.