( EW.com ) -- Did Billy Crystal rescue the Oscars ? Even with few box-office heavyweights in contention for top categories , Sunday night 's 84th Annual Academy Awards telecast rose slightly in the ratings from last year . ABC 's awards coverage delivered 39.3 million viewers , up 4 percent from 2011 , according to the network . In the adult demo , the show received an 11.7 rating , off a tenth from 2011 . The program out-delivered three of the past four Oscars telecasts and ranked as ABC 's most-watched program in two years . And yet , the Oscars were outshone in one respect : CBS ' Grammys coverage earlier this month pulled a slightly bigger audience than the usually dominant Academy Awards , and totally stomped the Oscars in the adult demo . The music awards show had 39.9 million viewers , just barely edging out Sunday 's telecast . If last night 's viewership tally is sustained in Nielsen 's national ratings release tomorrow , it will mark the first year the Grammys drew a larger crowd than the Oscars since Nielsen started its current ratings system in 1992 . Among adults 18-49 , there was no contest : Grammys had a 14.1 rating to Oscars 11.7 . Here 's how the Oscars have fared in recent years : . -- 2011 : 37.9 million viewers / 11.8 adult demo rating ( `` King 's Speech '' ) -- 2010 : 41.7 million viewers / 13.3 adult demo rating ( `` Hurt Locker '' ) -- 2009 : 36.3 million viewers / 12.1 adult demo rating ( `` Slumdog Millionaire '' ) -- 2008 : 32 million viewers / 10.7 adult demo rating ( `` No Country for Old Men '' ) -- Lowest . -- 2007 : 40.2 million viewers / 14.1 adult demo rating ( `` The Departed '' ) ... -- 1998 : 55.2 million viewers ( `` Titanic '' ) -- Highest . Also Sunday night : CBS ' `` Amazing Race '' ( 7.6 million , 2.1 ) was down 25 percent this week ( understandably ) . NBC 's `` Celebrity Apprentice '' ( 5 million , 1.8 ) was hammered down 31 percent ( also understandably -- if you like celebrities , are you going to watch Donald Trump 's Island of Broken Toys or the Oscars ? ) . See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved .
The Oscars delivered 39.3 million viewers , up 4 percent from 2011 . The program out-delivered three of the past four Oscars telecasts . Comment: