Golden Globes viewership on CBS jumps 50% from last year
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[January 09, 2024]
By Lisa Richwine
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Viewership for Sunday's star-studded Golden Globe
awards rose 50% from last year, averaging 9.4 million live viewers on
U.S. broadcaster CBS, according to Nielsen ratings data released on
Monday.
A year ago, the Globes attracted 6.3 million viewers to the ceremony on
Comcast Corp's NBC. The show switched networks after organizers made
reforms to address a diversity and ethics scandal and the awards were
sold to new owners.
Sunday's ceremony honored the best of film and television chosen by a
new group of 300 entertainment journalists. Historical drama
"Oppenheimer" dominated the night with five honors.
The Globes kicked off the awards season and were the first major
Hollywood party since twin writers and actors strikes shut down much of
the film and TV industry for six months last year. The event drew top
acting talent and most of the Globe nominees.
This year's show followed a National Football League game, the most
popular programming on U.S. television, and took place on a Sunday,
which is typically the highest-rated night of the week. NBC aired the
Globes on a Tuesday last year.
The Globes also streamed live to Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers.
CBS said the show was the second-largest, live-streamed CBS special
event ever on Paramount+, but the network did not provide the number of
streaming viewers.
Organizers of the Globes were trying to cement a comeback with a larger
and more diverse group of voters.
While ratings climbed, the ceremony and first-time host Jo Koy were
panned by many TV critics. Koy has been successful as a stand-up
comedian but on Sunday he seemed "out of proportion, out of his depth
and a fish out of water," wrote Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times.
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Sarah Snook, Matthew Macfadyen, and Kieran Kulkin pose with the
awards for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series
Drama for "Succession", Best Performance by a Male Actor in a
Supporting Role on Television for "Succession", and Best Performance
by a Male Actor in a Television Series for "Succession"at the 81st
Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, U.S.,
January 7, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood
Reporter called it a "flailing, fun-free telecast."
"Despite seeming even more densely star-studded than usual, Sunday
night's 81st Golden Globe Awards telecast was the dullest awards
show I've ever watched, and I'm including every solemn and
uncomfortable awards show aired during the COVID pandemic," Fienberg
wrote.
Koy seemed to acknowledge he was struggling as he opened the show.
"I got the gig 10 days ago!" he said. "You want a perfect monologue?
Yo, shut up."
On Monday, Koy said performing in front of the Globes crowd was "a
tough room."
"It was a hard job. I'm not going to lie," he said on ABC's "Good
Morning America." "Yes, I'm a stand-up comic, but that hosting
position - it's a different style."
Viewership on traditional television, including awards shows, has
been declining for years as fans switch to streaming TV platforms
and social media sites such as TikTok. Back in 2020, the Globes
audience hit 18.3 million TV viewers.
The Oscars, the highest-rated Hollywood awards show, pulled in 18.7
million viewers on ABC last year.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Mary Milliken and Sandra
Maler)
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