Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively . Television critic Matt Roush of '' TV Guide '' commented that DeGeneres " made the Oscars ' inevitable dull patches felt less painful than usual . " He also praised the cast and several musical numbers from the show . Frazier Moore of the Associated Press lauded DeGeneres 's performance writing that , " She seemed to be committed to an unspoken theme for the evening : Humanize Hollywood 's glitterati for the viewers . In return , the stars were on their best behavior . " He concluded , " All in all , a sleek show was the Oscarcast . Few bombshells , fewer embarrassments , from fade-in to fade-out . " Entertainment editor Marlow Stern of '' The Daily Beast '' raved , " DeGeneres followed in the footsteps of the most successful awards show hosts — Billy Crystal , the duo of Fey & Poehler , etc. — who have taken advantage of the audience , engaging in gleeful interactions with the plethora of A-listers there ( when they 're not mocking them ) . " The American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 43.74 million people over its length , which was a 6 % increase from the previous year 's ceremony . An estimated 72 million total viewers watched all or part of the awards . The show also earned higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous telecast with 24.7 % of households watching over a 38 share . In addition , the program scored a higher 18-49 demo rating with a 13.3 rating over a 33 share among viewers in that demographic . It is the second highest viewership for an Academy Award telecast in the 21st century , ranking only behind the 72nd ceremony held in 2000
previous year 's ceremony
85th Academy Awards
86th Academy Awards