Conan O’Brien to host the Academy Awards for a 3^rd time

LOS ANGELES — Comedian Conan O’Brien will return to host the Academy Awards in 2027 for a third straight year, broadcaster ABC said on Tuesday, after the former late-night TV host drew positive reviews and helped lift Oscars viewership from pandemic-era lows.

Viewership for the Oscars telecast reached a five-year high in 2025 with 19.7 million viewers when Mr. O’Brien hosted for the first time. The audience this year, according to ratings data from Nielsen.

ABC announced Mr. O’Brien’s return during a Walt Disney presentation to advertisers in New York. Disney owns ABC and Hulu, which will stream the next Oscars ceremony in March.

The 63-year-old Mr. O’Brien, an Emmy-winning comedian, is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and Conan. He currently hosts the HBO Max travel show Conan O’Brien Must Go and the podcast Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.

Viewership for awards shows has been declining for years as ‌TV audiences have shifted to streaming and social media. The ceremony hit a with roughly 9.5 million viewers.

The Oscars show will move to YouTube in 2029. — Reuters