LOS ANGELES – Figures from Sunday night’s Academy Awards telecast indicated ratings for the awards extravaganza were down versus the past two years but still ahead of 2003’s ratings.
Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network said the awards show got a 27.1 household rating, reflecting the percentage of total households watching the telecast. It also attracted a 40 share, representing the percentage of homes with televisions on that were tuned to the awards show.
On an inflation-adjusted basis, no best-picture winner in decades had done as poorly at the box office as this year’s “Crash.”
By comparison, the telecast got a 30.1 household rating with a 43 share in 2005, while in 2004 it received a 29.8 rating and a 43 share. In 2003, right after the U.S. went to war in Iraq, the show received a 25.5 rating and a 37 share.
The figures translate to an average of 38.8 million viewers, ABC said. It posted a rating of 13.9 among adults ages 18 to 49.
It was feared that ratings for this year’s awards show, hosted by novice emcee Jon Stewart, could reach a new low. Collectively, the five best-picture nominees had taken in the lowest nominee-revenue total in years.
But Stewart helped attract more males, increasing viewership among “hard to reach” men ages 18 to 34 by 5 percent, ABC said.
Top-prize-winner “Crash” set an inflation-adjusted new low in U.S. box-office receipts of $53.4 million in comparison with best-picture winners stretching back four decades.
“The English Patient” in 1996 was the last sub-$100 million best-picture winner, earning $78.6 million in U.S. receipts, or slightly more than $93 million in 2006 dollars.
In 1987, “The Last Emperor” took in $44 million, but inflation turns that figure into more than $74 million in 2006 dollars. “Annie Hall’s” $39.2 million in 1977 box office translates into more than $120 million in today’s dollars.
And in 1966, “A Man for All Seasons” made $12.8 million at the box office, but that amounts to $75 million in current terms.
“Crash” is long gone from theaters, so the film’s post-Oscar bounce must come purely from home video. “Crash” was released in May.
The biggest box-office hit among the five was “Brokeback Mountain,” which had taken in a relatively paltry $78 million in U.S. receipts through Sunday.
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