Early numbers of the Academy Awards viewer ratings last night have checked in at a nine-year low, according to Neilson reports.
The 89th annual Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, hit a score of 21.4/37, down from last year’s numbers, which were the lowest in eight years.
The event follows a growing backlash from Trump supporters and a mix-up in announcing the winner for Best Picture, which was first given to La La Land by mistake.
According to reports, an anti-Oscar protest was held in Los Angeles on Sunday, which ended in a fight between two women. The boycott was shared on Facebook and urged followers to vote with their remote controls and change the channel.
“It is important that we, the deplorables, show the likes of Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Alec Baldwin, Cher … that we, the backbone and decent people of America, are more united than the bitter, unhappy, angry, divisive people of the entertainment industry,” the post said.
The Facebook post went on to call Hollywood elites, “arrogant, pompous, pampered soulless individuals” who are “evil-hearted.”
But, it is important to note that Americans are watching less TV in general. The rise of streaming networks such as Netflix has caused people to spend less time watching TV.
