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MediaBuyerPlanner: The Tony Awards on Sunday night lost 19 percent of last year’s audience, averaging a 4.2 household rating from 8 to 11 p.m., according to Nielsen overnights. If the numbers don’t improve, when final ratings are released, the night may end by having pulled the worst household rating in Tony Awards history.
Ratings for the Tony’s have been falling for more than a decade, writes Media Life. The 2005 Tony’s were the lowest-rated ever in households, with a 4.5 average, and it has been nine years since the show drew more than 10 million viewers. Sunday night’s show averaged 6.2 million viewers, but viewership steadily declined during the latter portion of the show, perhaps due to viewers leaving to watch either the final episode of The Sopranos, which ran a few minutes past 10 p.m. on HBO, or Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Lack of plays with a high buzz-factor and few big stars up for awards could be contributing to the poor performance of the Tonys.