There weren't too many shocks or surprises at this year's Academy Awards, and any eyebrow raisers became largely mocked or criticized, like replacement host Billy Crystal 's blackface routine and Angelina Jolie's now infamous show of leg when presenting the Best Screenwriting award. However that's not stopped the television ratings from showing a 4% increase on the previous year, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The figures are officially in, and state that some 39.3 million viewers turned into the Oscars coverage according to early ratings affiliates, up from 37.9 million the previous year. However there was a slight shift in the demographic of those watching the show, with statistics reporting that less 18-49 year-olds had watched the show than the previous year, however the older fans picking up the slack looks to have saved a ratings drop and that's no doubt in some part due to the veteran Billy Crystal's hosting of the show, stepping in late after Eddie Murphy dropped out.

It wasn't all good news though, with fans less keen to watch the preparation before the event, network ABC's red carpet coverage down with three half hours posting 4.8, 6.2 and 8.1 adults among the 18-49 category. The final half hour dropped some 11%. To put in perspective the success of the main event though, it's next nearest competitor, a re-run of 'Napoleon Dynamite' on Fox, was watched by a mere 3.6 million.