Household ratings for the 81st Annual Academy Awards were up 6 percent compared to last year, according to overnight Nielsen data. Sunday night’s ABC telecast averaged a 23.3 household rating/35 share in the 56 metered U.S. markets. (We’ll find out how that translates into total viewers when Nielsen releases that number later this afternoon.) The Top 5 highest-rated markets were: New York (34.1/49), Chicago (31.2/46), Los Angeles (28.1/44), Boston (27.4/42) and Kansas City (27.1/41).
More Oscars coverage:
Oscars ’09 Readers Poll: What did you think?
Dave Karger’s OscarWatch: The morning after
Missy Schwartz’s picks the night’s 13 best/worst moments
Meeta Agrawal picks the best and worst on the red carpet
EW reports from the Kodak Theatre, parties… and bathrooms!
Ken Tucker’s take on the telecast
Adam B. Vary’s report from backstage
Whitney Pastorek on the scene at Prince’s Oscar night house party
Complete list of winners
EW live blogs the Oscars telecast
EW live blogs the red carpet shows
EW’s Oscars Central (Dave Karger’s video interviews, photo galleries, and more)
Heath Ledger
Slumdog
I think Heath Ledger had a bit to do with it (people tuned it to see if he won). But I also think the ratings were so low last year because there just weren’t as many good movies out as this year.
The ratings were up simply because it just couldn’t get any worse than last year. Besides, nothing else was on…
You’re crazy. No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood blew away any movie that came out this year. So, to say ‘there just weren’t as many good movies out as this year’ is incorrect. Plus, Michael Clayton AND Juno were nominated as well last year. ’07 was a much better year for movies than ’08. Ratings were up b/c ppl were disenchanted by the writer’s strike last year and they tuned out.
people just love hugh jackman. the show as livelier this year.