NEW YORK — An estimated 41.3 million people saw “The Hurt Locker” top the popular “Avatar” for best picture in the most-watched Academy Awards telecast since 2005.
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 a month after the Super Bowl set the mark for most-watched telecast ever.
The 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, Nielsen said.
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 Associated Press
