Golden Globe ratings sink to a record low, sounding a warning to the Oscars

Last updated Mar 2, 2021

Worlds scores plunged more than 60% from the 18.3 million audiences who enjoyed in 2015, per Nielsen information, to a typical audience of 6.9 million. While the Globes have a long and unequal TELEVISION history — sometimes airing in syndication, on cable television and for a time after an earlier scandal, not — that’s the most affordable tune-in because NBC obtained the broadcast rights in the 1990s.

NBC kept in mind that the audience did leading the Emmy Awards in September, however that’s barely an achievement, because those numbers strike a record low also. All indications are that the appetite for award shows — already steadily declining — has been dealt a serious setback in a year where many movie theaters have been closed and much of film distribution has out of necessity migrated to streaming services.

The big winners in the leading movie categories — the drama “Nomadland” and satirical comedy “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” — premiered on Hulu and Amazon, respectively.

In addition, employing a virtual format — featuring bicoastal hosts in Tina Fey and Amy Poehler — robbed the Globes of its usual free-wheeling atmosphere, resulting in a broadcast that was filled with technical glitches and awkward moments.

Low ratings are only one of the issues facing NBC and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organization that presents the annual awards. Reporting in the Los Angeles Times exposed new ethical questions about the group as well as the absence of any Black members, a fact that has actually drawn criticism from key Hollywood figures, prompting HFPA representatives to promise to address the latter problem during the broadcast.

NBC has thus far had no comment regarding the latest reports about the HFPA, which derives most of its revenue from the broadcast license fee and donates much of that to charitable endeavors.

Like the Worlds, the Academy Awards were postponed by approximately 2 months this year, with elections due out March 15 and the event to air on April 25.

Jobber Wiki author Frank Long contributed to this report.

entertainment Golden Globe ratings sink to a record low sounding a warning to the Oscars - CNN