Oscars 'most watched since 2005'

It is up 14 percent on the 36.3 million viewers who watched Slumdog Millionaire dominate last year's ceremony.Nielsen used digital video recording data for the first time this year, meaning anyone who recorded the Oscars to watch later was counted.

The ratio of commercial hits to arthouse films in the Oscars race has long influenced the show's ratings success.An increase in the number of nominations for best picture this year - which included more mainstream films like Up and Avatar - is likely to have given the ceremony a boost.