Oscars should combat declining viewership by becoming more like the Super Bowl

Variety

"The Super Bowl is a good prism for thinking about how the Academy can widen the scope of activity around the Academy Awards," says Clayton Davis. “'Party' is synonymous with 'Super Bowl,' and it should be with 'Oscars' as well." The NFL has transformed the Super Bowl into something that is much, much more than a football game, so it has something for every kind of viewer. "The 30-second spots in the big game are going for an astounding $6.5 million," says Davis. "That’s in part because the Super Bowl is entertaining to audiences beyond sports fans. So let’s take that concept and apply it to a lot more fun festivities around movies. Of course, the Oscars can’t seize $6 million for 30 seconds, at least not in this moment of declining ratings. Still, they can build an experience that heightens the showcase of the latest teasers and trailers from networks and studios, or announcements of new video game releases and consoles, or any other product that appeals to four quadrant demos." ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel was right with his critique of the Oscars.