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Despite the inevitable boost social media has given to big televised events, the 2015 Oscars didn’t do so hot in the ratings category compared to last year.

TheWrap is citing a 16 percent ratings drop from 2014 with 36.6 million total viewers, a decrease of 6.4 million. As it stands, the Academy can’t blame Sean Penn for this one.

A long show can be a ratings killer. People begin falling like flies as the show reaches its third hour. So, going over can be deadly to the its numbers. This year’s show ran 48 minutes over its allotted time — eight minutes longer than last year’s telecast.

The decline doesn’t worry ABC, however, which has the upper hand in the broadcasting deal, TheWrap has learned. Regardless of incremental ratings falls, the network wouldn’t be able to program anything that could come near to the amount of live eyeballs that the Oscars telecast attracts.

Even when the show runs over its three hours of allotted time, it doesn’t bother the network — even though it has plenty viewers complaining on social media — for the very same reason as above: It’s a huge amount of viewers.

And when the show doesn’t perform to the same level of ratings as the previous year, the network doesn’t bat an eyelid either. As apparently, a network spokesperson told TheWrap, ABC doesn’t guarantee advertisers that the show will match previous numbers.

That’s very different to when a series misses its goals and then must provide advertisers with what’s called “make-goods,” meaning networks give advertisers more time on other programs or on digital platforms to make up for the impressions purchased by advertisers that weren’t delivered.

You heard them. We’ll see everybody back same time in black tie next year.

Photos: Andrea M. Barraza/Fayesvison/WENN