In 2024, Americans had a big return to theaters, with domestic box office revenue only marginally (3%) below from 2023. With the Oscars approaching, it’s now time to celebrate the best-quality films that made the biggest impact – not just the ones that made the most money. To help you get psyched for the film industry’s biggest night, WalletHub did our homework on everything from box office sales and Rotten Tomatoes ratings for the Best Picture nominees to the price of awards-season lobbying. You can find all of these awesome Oscars fun facts in the infographic below. That’s followed by a Q&A on the state of the film industry with a panel of entertainment experts.
Top 5 Oscars Facts for 2025:
- $57.7M: Total cost of the Oscars ceremony.
- $10M: Cost of the look for an A-list actress attending the Oscars.
- $24.7K: Cost of the 50,000 square foot Oscars red carpet.
- $1.95M: Cost of a 30-second ad during the Oscars (72% less than the Super Bowl).
- 4th: Consecutive time in five years when the Oscars telecast will have a host (Conan O'Brien – marking his debut as the host).
Ask the Experts: Taking Oscar’s Pulse
For a closer look at a variety of issues related to the Academy Awards, from demographics to dollars and cents, we posed the following questions to a panel of leading business and entertainment experts. You can check out their bios and responses below.
- In light of the past years’ controversies, the Academy has worked to improve the diversity of the awards (from the implementation of new representation and inclusion standards to the diversification of its membership). What else can be done to address this critical issue?
- Do you believe the current system of nominating films is a fair and transparent one? How can this process be improved?
- Who do you think will win the awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Picture?
Ask the Experts
Ph.D. – Charles A. Dana Professor and Chair, Department of Media and Culture – Randolph College
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Associate Professor, Center for the Study of Culture, Race & Ethnicity (CSCRE) – Ithaca College
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Associate Professor and Area Head; Program in Television, Film and New Media – San Diego State University
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Ph.D. – Professor of Film and Media Studies & I-SENSE Ethics and Society Fellow – Florida Atlantic University
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Wellspring Associate Professor and Chair, Film Studies – University of Tulsa
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Ph.D. – Chair, Film, Television, and Photography Programs, Roy H. Park School of Communications – Ithaca College
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WalletHub experts are widely quoted. Contact our media team to schedule an interview.