Beiruting News

Gone Girl star's patchy hosting turn is watched by 16% fewer US viewers than last year, when Ellen DeGeneres's celeb-packed selfie helped boost social media mentions

The 2015 Oscars scored the broadcast's lowest US television ratings in six years, with just 36.6 million people tuning in to watch Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman triumph in four categories.

Estimates from Nielsen suggest Neil Patrick Harris's turn as host was watched by 16% fewer viewers than tuned in to check out Ellen DeGeneres in 2014, when 42.7 million people watched the show. The last time the broadcast had a similar number of viewers was in 2009, when 39.3 million watched the ceremony presented by Hugh Jackman in which Slumdog Millionaire took best picture.

Up to a billion people are likely to have watched at least part of the show around the world, though there are no official figures. The full ceremony is broadcast live in more than 200 countries, according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which stages the awards.