Most Viewers Prefer Hosted Awards Shows

An Aug. 8-9 Morning Consult/The Hollywood Reporter poll found that a slim majority — 54 percent — of adults prefer awards shows with hosts, while 6 percent prefer a hostless telecast. The survey polled 2,200 adults and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Nielsen data shows that viewership for awards shows, including the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys, has been on the decline. In 2018, both telecasts brought in record-low viewership: Just over 26.6 million viewers for the Oscars and slightly more than 10.2 million for the Emmys. Though not necessarily correlated, the Oscars’ hostless 2019 telecast saw an increase in viewership for the first time since 2014, drawing in 29.6 million viewers. 

Barbara Jones, professor of practice in the television, radio and film department in the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, said that the early fall air date of the Primetime Emmy telecast could be a contributing factor to its low viewership. 

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