CTV’s live broadcast of the 96th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night drew 3.5 million viewers, making it one of the most watched English-language shows this year, according to Numeris data.

The ceremony reported a 4% rise in total viewers over last year’s broadcast on CTV, with a 12% increase among those aged 25 to 54. Numeris data also shows that the audience peaked at 4.5 million people at 10:19 p.m., when Oppenheimer took home the best picture award. According to CTV’s parent company Bell Media, this year’s Oscar broadcast drawn its highest audience in four years. Last year’s 95th awards attracted more than 3.4 million viewers in Canada. 

Besides the Oscars ceremony, the other two most-watched programs on Sunday were Countdown to the Oscars and Etalk After The Oscars, both broadcast on CTV.

Countdown to the Oscars was watched by 1.5 million viewers, according to Numeris. The 90-minute show, which features the awards’ nominees, performers and presenters, increased its audience by 39% year on year among adults ages 25 to 54. And Etalk After The Oscars, in which three hosts discuss the night’s highlights, was the most-watched episode of the Etalk brand in five years, with 1.1 million viewers this time. Etalk has been broadcasting on CTV since 2022 and covers the latest news in movies, music, TV, and fashion.