Oscar ratings up 14 percent, highest since 2005
Oscar co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin shake hands as the cast and crew of best picture winner “The Hurt Locker” celebrate at the finale of Sunday night’s Academy Awards. (Associated Press photo)
An estimated 41.3 million people saw the war drama “The Hurt Locker” top the mega-blockbuster “Avatar” for best picture in the most-watched Academy Awards telecast since 2005, according to the Associated Press.
Oscar viewership was up 14 percent over last year, the Nielsen Co. said Monday, keeping with a trend of bigger audiences for major events on broadcast television. Last month’s Super Bowl set the mark for most-watched telecast ever.
That means for viewers saw Kathryn Bigelow become the first woman to win an Oscar for best director. The Oscars built to a big climax when Bigelow’s Iraqi war thriller “The Hurt Locker” topped the sci-fi epic “Avatar,” directed by her ex-husband James Cameron, for best picture.
The Academy Awards’ TV audience was up from the 36.3 million who saw “Slumdog Millionaire” win best picture last year and 32 million — Oscar’s smallest audience on record — in 2008, the AP reports. The Oscars had just more than 42 million watch in 2005, when “Million Dollar Baby” was the big winner.
The Oscar ratings continue a trend of bigger audiences for awards shows in recent months, according to the AP. The Golden Globes were up 14 percent over the year before, and the performance-heavy Grammys up 36 percent, Nielsen said. The Emmys, the Tonys and the Miss America pageant all saw higher ratings.
Analysts say fewer chances for Americans to gather in front of the television set for communal events may help make these events more popular. With a poor economy, more people are staying home, too.
The Internet may also help draw viewers; experts say many people are online while the shows are on, and they comment about them to friends on Twitter, Facebook and blogs.
Thanks to all the readers who followed along with my live-blog of the Oscars Sunday night!
- BAM
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment