Oscars Telecast Delivers Strong Performance

NEW YORK: ABC’s broadcast of the 82nd annual Academy Awards on Sunday brought in an average audience of 41.3 million total viewers, qualifying as television’s most watched entertainment telecast since 2005, according to Nielsen’s "Fast National" ratings.

The awards show posted a 13.1 rating among adults 18 to 49. The broadcast also had its second straight year of gains, increasing by 5 million viewers and by 8 percent in adults 18 to 49.

Compared with the other awards shows this year, the Academy Awards telecast outperformed the Emmys by 27.8 million viewers, the Golden Globes by 24.3 million viewers and the Grammys by 15.4 million viewers. The 82nd annual Academy Awards reached 70 million unique TV viewers across the U.S., meaning unduplicated viewers over the age of 2 watching six minutes or more during its telecast.

Pre-show coverage of the Oscar’s red carpet pulled in 25.1 million viewers, the special’s largest audience since 2007. Prior to the Oscar’s Red Carpet 2010 special, ABC aired the annual Barbara Walters special, which drew in an average audience of 15 million viewers. The telecast brought in its biggest overall audience in eight years.