Will Smith and Chris Rock

The clash between actor, Will Smith and comedian, Chris Rock  at the 2022 Oscars boosted the ratings as millions of people tuned in to the Academy Award.

The Sunday’s ceremony reached an estimated 15.36 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen company numbers released on Monday March 28 by ABC. A more detailed estimate is expected Tuesday, with elements like out-of-home viewing added.

The 2021 ceremony had reached a startlingly low 9.85 million viewers. That led to several changes in the Oscars going into this year, including the addition of hosts and awarding eight categories ahead of the broadcast, and editing them into the live show.

The winners and losers of the 2022 Oscars were overshadowed by best actor winner Will Smith storming the stage to slap comedian Chris Rock because of a joke he made about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

The moment when Smith struck comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife’s hair-loss condition immediately went viral online, launching countless memes and opinions both defending and condemning the best actor winner.

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