Ellen DeGeneres' second time hosting the Oscars brought in the show's biggest audience in 10 years, with 43 million viewers tuning into Sunday's 86th Annual Academy Awards on ABC from 8:30-11:41 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen fast-nationals.
The 43 million is up 7% from last year's Seth MacFarlane-hosted kudosfest.
Among adults 18-49 however, Sunday's Oscars averaged a 12.9 rating, a slight dip from last year's 13.0 rating. The show was up among a few younger demographics, rising 1% with adults 18-34 and 8% among persons 12-17.
Sunday's telecast was up 6% in total viewers from the last time Ellen DeGeneres hosted in 2007 (40.2 million viewers), but down 9% from the 14.1 rating in the adults 18-49 demo.
The Oscars Red Carpet Special averaged a 7.1 rating in the demo from 7-8:30 p.m. ET, up a tenth from last year. ABC easily won the night with an overall 10.2 rating/26 share.
ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars also saw its best ratings in its nine-year run, up 22% to just under 7 million total viewers. The post-Oscar special also improved 20% among adults 18-49 to 2.4 million viewers.
CBS was the other only network to schedule original programming against the Oscars. 60 Minutes rose 8% from last week to a 1.4 while The Amazing Race matched last week's series low 1.5 rating.
