The 2024 Oscars are set to kick off early this year, with the 96th annual Academy Awards scheduled to air on Sunday, March 10. The broadcast will be on ABC in the U.S., starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, following a half-hour ABC preshow that begins at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The show is expected to conclude by 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT, after which ABC will air a new episode of the sitcom Abbott Elementary. This year's start time is an hour earlier than in previous years, a first for the Oscars, and coincides with the first day of daylight saving time, making it feel even earlier for many viewers.
Sources revealed that the decision to move up the Oscars broadcast was driven by a desire to wrap up the show within primetime on the East Coast. In past years, viewership on the East Coast had declined as the lengthy ceremony progressed. The 2023 Oscars saw a resurgence in ratings, with an average of 18.76 million viewers and a 4.03 rating among adults 18-49 on ABC.
