Photo: ReutersThe US television audience for the 2020 Oscars fell to an all-time low for a ceremony that brought big wins for South Korean satire Parasite but was criticised by reviewers as long and haphazard. It was the worst TV audience ever for the highest honours in the movie industry and beat the previous record low of 26.5 million in 2018. Audiences for live award shows have been declining in recent years, but the Oscars ceremony was still the biggest draw of Sunday night on television. Nielsen said the Academy Awards also dominated conversations on social media, producing 20.6 million social interactions on Twitter, Facebook and other platforms, up 16 % from 2019. The average unit cost for a 30-second TV ad during Sunday's ceremony ranged from $US1,689,300 ($NZ2,644,860) to $US2,272,900, according to the research firm SQAD.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 11, 2020 01:30 UTC