The network said the Oscars telecast beat other awards shows in the ratings race this season, including the 2007 "Emmy Awards," which attracted 13 million viewers; the 2008"Golden Globes," which was watched by 6 million people and the 2008 "Grammy Awards," which had an audience of 17.2 million.

However, Variety.com noted the Oscars number was also less than one-third of the 97.5 million viewers who watched the Super Bowl on Fox earlier this month.

The trade paper said this year's Oscar audience plummeted from last year's 40.2 million viewers and sank lower than the previous lowest viewership in the telecast's history, which was 33 million in 2003 when the show went on just days after the United States went to war in Iraq.