Nellie Andreeva

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UPDATE 11:30 AM: The 84th Annual Academy Awards drew 39.3 million viewers in Live+Same Day. That is up 4% from last year’s viewership and the second-most-watched Oscar ceremony in the past five years, behind the 2010 show where The Hurt Locker defeated blockbuster Avatar. Among adults 18-49, last night’s Oscar telecast (11.7 rating) was even with last year, an impressive feat given that that this year’s host Billy Crystal is almost 64, while last year’s show was hosted by twenty- and thirtysomethings James Franco and Anne Hathaway. Here is historical data for the Academy Awards’ audiences over the past decade, along with the Best Picture winner that year.

2012 39.3 million The Artist
2011 37.9 million The King’s Speech
2010 41.3 million The Hurt Locker
2009 36.3 million Slumdog Millionaire
2008 32.0 million No Country For Old Men
2007 40. 2 million The Departed
2006 38.9 million Crash
2005 42.1 million Million Dollar Baby
2004 43.5 million Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King
2003 33.0 million Chicago
2002 41.8 million A Beautiful Mind
2001 42.9 million Gladiator

PREVIOUS 7:50 AM: Despite mostly negative reviews and no popular blockbusters among the movies vying for the top prizes, last night’s 84th Annual Academy Awards drew a 25.5 household rating/38 share from 8:30-11:24 PM, up 4% from last year (24.5/37). This year’s show was also up from 2009 and 2008 while down from 2010 and 2007 (see historical data below). Among adults 18-49, the Oscars delivered a 14.3 rating in Nielsen’s Local People Meter markets, on par with last year’s 14.4 despite having a host host, Billy Crystal, whose age was the ages of last year’s co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway combined.

2012 25.5/37
2011 24.6/37
2010 26.5/40
2009 23.3/35
2008 21.9/33
2007 27.7/42

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