|
Listen to article
|
Adrien Brody, crowned best actor at the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 2, 2025, etched his name into cinematic annals by delivering the lengthiest acceptance speech in Oscar history—a record-breaking moment that unfolded during a protracted gala, which drew approximately 18 million viewers across ABC’s U.S. broadcast and Hulu’s streaming platform, reflecting a modest decline in audience figures.
The ceremony, distinguished by the triumph of the modest-budget independent film Anora, which claimed five statuettes including best picture, extended beyond its allotted timeframe, approaching a duration of nearly four hours—a testament to its expansive scope.
For over eight decades, British actress Greer Garson had held the distinction of the longest Oscar oration, clocking five minutes and 30 seconds for her 1943 best actress win for Mrs Miniver, a benchmark documented by the Guinness World Records.
In response to Garson’s address, the Academy instituted time constraints and the convention of ushering winners offstage with orchestral cues—a protocol defied by Brody, who assertively commanded the musicians to halt, ensuring his remarks resonated uninterrupted across the Dolby Theatre.
“Please, turn the music off. I’ve done this before,” said Brody, who won best actor in 2003 for “The Pianist.”
“It’s not my first rodeo, but I will be brief. I will not be egregious, I promise,” said Brody, before continuing for another 90 seconds.
Read also: Oscar-Winning British Actress Maggie Smith Kicks Bucket At 89
Initial data released by ABC on Monday, March 3, 2025, pegged the U.S. audience for the 97th Academy Awards at 18.1 million, a figure encompassing viewership on both traditional broadcast and, for the first time, Hulu’s live stream—a pioneering shift marred by technical disruptions that prevented some digital viewers from witnessing the announcement of the evening’s culminating awards.
This tally signals the abrupt cessation of a three-year ascent in Oscars viewership, a trend that had offered tentative optimism for the ceremony’s enduring appeal following a period of pronounced decline.
By contrast, the preliminary estimate for the previous year’s broadcast stood at 19.5 million, buoyed by the commanding sweep of Christopher Nolan’s cinematic juggernaut Oppenheimer and enriched by vibrant musical interludes from the box-office titan Barbie, elements that amplified its resonance with audiences.
The nadir of the Academy Awards’ television reach came during the Covid-19 crisis, when viewership plummeted to an unprecedented 10.4 million, a stark reflection of the era’s broader disruption to live event programming.
A mere decade prior, the Oscars consistently commanded audiences exceeding 40 million, a benchmark that underscores the ceremony’s once-unassailable stature as a cultural lodestone—an eminence now shadowed by evolving viewing habits and competitive media landscapes.
