Nielsen’s preliminary
numbers show 2021’s Golden Globes audience at just 5.4 million — down more than 60% from 2020’s broadcast, which pulled an average of 18.3 million viewers.
While the numbers
don’t yet include those watching live in the Pacific time zone or out-of-home viewing, “it’s unlikely that these groups will make up the 15 million viewers lost between the 2020 and
2021 Golden Globes broadcasts,” notes TVLine.
The primarily virtual show, hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, on separate coasts, drew just a 1.2
rating among the 18-49 demographic -- down from 4.7 for 2020’s broadcast.
Viewership for 2020’s show, hosted by Ricky Gervais, represented a new low at the
time -- down 2% from 2019’s.
This year’s disadvantages included not just the virtual format, with no audience or red-carpet shots, but a roster of films that featured mostly
smaller, independent productions, thanks to COVID’s precluding big-studio productions for much of 2020.
In addition, some speculate that the bad publicity created by the controversy
about the Globes’ voting body not having a single Black member.
All on top of the reality that all of the awards shows have been downtrending for years.
“It’s not so
easy to keep viewers engaged for three hours when they can enjoy it through short-form videos later,” observed Entertainment Weekly after last year’s Globes broadcast.
Nielsen’s final numbers are due out this morning.