This represents an increase of 12% compared to the ceremony last year, during which Will Smith made headlines by slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage.

The rebound is therefore continuing slowly for the Oscars, which hit rock bottom during the pandemic.

In 2021, the audience had collapsed by more than half during a minimalist ceremony marked by health restrictions, to reach a historic low with only 9.85 million viewers.

This year, the return of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, a safe bet as master of ceremonies, and the presence of an innovative film like "Everything Everywhere All At Once" alongside real blockbusters like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar : the way of the water", gave hope for a renewed interest in the Oscars.

This bullish trend is good news for organizers.

Because for years, award ceremonies have struggled to generate as much attention as before, in the face of competition from streaming platforms and social networks.

Sunday's audience, however, remains the third lowest in the history of the ceremony.

The evening, which featured musical performances from Rihanna and Lady Gaga, was generally acclaimed by critics.

The absence of onstage violence made it possible to focus on the many touching speeches of tearful winners.

The "Everything Everywhere" stars, who picked up three of the four actor statuettes, seemed genuinely overjoyed with their awards.

The Hollywood Reporter thus salutes an edition "fortunately not very dramatic, but very moving".

Similarly, Variety magazine found the show "tasteful".

But the complete absence of surprises did not please the New York Times.

The daily yawns in front of a ceremony reduced to "a trivial exercise" which "scrupulously adhered to the script".

The ceremony turned into a triumph for "Everything Everywhere All At Once", rewarded with seven Oscars, including those for best film and best actress for its star Michelle Yeoh.

The figures released by ABC on Monday are preliminary.

The final hearings are to be released on Tuesday.

© 2023 AFP