ABC Seeking $1.6-1.7 Million for This Year's Oscar Ad Spots

The 2012 Oscars broadcast is being sold to advertisers for slightly less than its 2011 counterpart. 

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ABC, which is airing the 84th annual awards show telecast Feb. 26, is seeking between $1.6 and $1.7 million for each 30-second spot of advertising to air during the Academy Awards, Advertising Age reports. 

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These figures are slightly below the 2011 broadcast, which netted closer to $1.7 million per ad, but still higher than the most recent low of $1.3 million in 2009 (brought on by the show's continually decreased ratings and the country's recession). 

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Last year's widely-criticized show, hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway, may be partly to blame for the decrease, which also saw a nine percent drop in ratings from 2010's telecast.  37.9 million viewers watched The King's Speech take home Best Picture in 2011 while in 2010, 41.7 million were tuned in to see The Hurt Locker win the top honor. 

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The upcoming show has already seen its share of drama, with producer Brett Ratner and host Eddie Murphy stepping down from their duties last week (amidst controversy surrounding Ratner's use of a homophobic slur), four months before the show is set to air. Brian Grazer and veteran host Billy Crystal have since been named as their replacements.