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The average viewership tally for the 3 1/2-hour-plus live broadcast on ABC, a unit of the Walt Disney Co, also marked the second straight year of Nielsen gains for the film industry's annual celebration.
The larger numbers appeared to reflect a bid by Oscar organizers to broaden the show's appeal by increasing the number of films nominated for best picture from the usual five to 10, thus recognizing more films seen by mass audiences.
In the end, a low-budget Iraq war drama that was mainly an arthouse favorite, "The Hurt Locker," was the evening's biggest winner, picking up six prizes in all, including Oscars for best film and best director.
The total audience was 41.3 million.
By comparison, 2009's Academy Awards telecast, which crowned "Slumdog Millionaire" best picture, averaged 36.3 million U.S. viewers, up from the record low audience the year before, when the grim crime drama "No Country for Old Men" won and only 32 million viewers tuned in to watch.
(Editing by Philip Barbara) |
