Will The Oscars' Ratings Rise This Year? Consider These 7 Factors And Vote!

The Academy Awards, like many a kudoscast, have lost some of their golden luster in recent years, due to a number of factors — including but not limited to the COVID of it all.

The pandemic-delayed 2021 Oscars amassed just 10.4 million total viewers, down a whopping 56 percent from the previous ceremony. (Prior to 2020's first host-less Oscars, which were held a month prior to what would be the onset of the COVID pandemic, the "record holder" for smallest audience was the 2018 telecast hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, which drew 26.5 million viewers.)

What tricks does Will Packer, producer of this year's ABC telecast, have up his sleeve to hopefully stem that bleeding of viewers? For one, it was decided to dial back the number of trophies handed out live during the ceremony. He also brought back the concept of a host, times three. And there is some sort of semi-meaningless "fan favorite movie" prize that will be announced, as a means to make well-watched, popcorn-ier fare a part of filmdom's biggest night.

But is it enough? Can the tide of receding viewership be pushed back? Or is this year's ABC telecast doomed to dip to a new record low?

Review and consider the seven factors listed down below, then scroll back up to cast your vote in this poll (click here if poll not visible):

PRO: If you felt like the past two Oscar telecasts were a bit rudderless, seeing as there was no host overseeing things, good news: this year you have three hosts, in Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall — each potentially delightful in her own way.

CON: Three hosts means the three times the potential for really forced interplay/banter/"bits." Plus, if Schumer and or Sykes and or Hall are far from being a favorite of yours... well, CBS is airing back-to-back episodes of NCIS: LA, followed by S.W.A.T.!

PRO: There's a little something for everyone during this year's telecast. Best Original Song contenders will be performed by Beyonce (King Richard's "Be Alive"), Sebastián Yatra (Encanto's "Dos Oruguitas"), Billie Eilish and FINNEAS (No Time to Die's title track) and Reba McEntire (Four Good Days' "Somehow You Do"), while Encanto fans will also get to see the cast deliver a first-ever live rendition of "We Don't Talk About Bruno." This year's COVID-safer ceremony also brings back a live orchestra, featuring an "all-star band" comprised of music director Adam Blackstone, blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, percussionist and singer Sheila E., and genre-spanning pianist Robert Glasper.

CON: If you're a fan of Belfast's "Down To Joy," that Best Original Song nominee will not be performed, as Van Morrison is away on tour. Also, is two Encanto performances one too many/a shameless Disney shill?

The Power of the Dog leads this year's pack with 12 total nominations, including for Best Picture, followed by Dune (with 10), Belfast and West Side Story (seven each) and King Richard (six).

PRO: There is some drama surrounding Best Picture, with Power of the Dog having claimed the prize at the Globes and (FWIW) the Critics Choice Awards, CODA winning Best Cast at SAG, and King Richard and Belfast both meriting steady buzz. And if you really wanna get inside baseball, there's the question of whether Apple TV+, with CODA, will beat Netflix (The Power of The Dog) to be the first streamer to take home a Best Picture Oscar.

CON: Among this year's 10 Best Picture nominees, only a couple (namely Dune and kinda sorta West Side Story) qualify as mass-market box office hits.

Introducing nominees and handing out gold this year will be Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Momoa, Jill Scott, J.K. Simmons, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Rachel Zegler, Halle Bailey, Stephanie Beatriz and Ruth E. Carter... Sean "Diddy" Combs, Kevin Costner, Jamie Lee Curtis, DJ Khaled, Jennifer Garner, Tiffany Haddish, Woody Harrelson, Tony Hawk, H.E.R. and Anthony Hopkins... Samuel L. Jackson, Lily James, Daniel Kaluuya, Zoë Kravitz, Mila Kunis, Lady Gaga, John Leguizamo, Simu Liu, Rami Malek and Shawn Mendes... Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, Rosie Perez, Tyler Perry and Chris Rock... and Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Scott, Kelly Slater, Wesley Snipes, Uma Thurman, John Travolta, Shaun White and Yuh-Jung Youn.

PRO: You're bound to recognize 90 percent of these people!

CON: DJ Khaled? Shaun White? At the Oscars?

PRO: If you've longed for an even-slightly-shorter Oscars, know that this year's telecast will not be presenting the following eight categories live: documentary short, film editing, makeup/hairstyling, original score, production design, live action short and sound, and animated short.

CON: Versus the overly planned and often-sterilized litany of thanks given by the Oscars' big, name-brand winners, the acceptances speeches delivered by the "little guy" winners in these niche categories can sometimes serve up unexpectedly emotional moments or blurted gems — such as when Rayka Zehtabchi, director of the documentary short Period, exclaimed in 2019 (above), "I can't believe a film about menstruation just won an Oscar!"

In a desperate bid to drum up otherwise-disinterested and uninvested lookie-loos, this year's Oscars will also be announcing the winner of some "fan favorite movie" award, as voted on via Twitter.

PRO: The very biggest hit of 2022, Spider-Man: No Way Home, now has two chances to win something on Sunday, as it is an Oscar nominee for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and also is on the short list for this Twitter award thing. Netflix's Army of the Dead (pictured) and Prime Video's Cinderella are also strong contenders.

CON: Weren't the People's Choice Awards in December? Also, we cringe to think what lengths producers will go to make crystal clear that this award is not in any way, shape or form an Oscar.

PRO: Last April — barely a year into the pandemic — seeing even a few dozen nominees/guests spaced out across what was basically a large, sparse dining room, sans masks, frankly gave us the heebee jeebees. This time around, knowing that all attendees (if not the performers, hmm) are vaccinated should make for an easier-to-enjoy telecast.

Now, scroll back up (or click here) to vote in our poll, making your best guess about 2022 Oscars viewership!