TONY Ratings Down from Last Year's HAMILTON-Dominated Awards

Oscar, Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey hosted THE 71st ANNUAL TONY AWARDS, live from the historic Radio City Music Hall in New York City last night. (Click here for a full list of winners!) Spacey had big shoes to fill following last year's James Corden-hosted event which was dominated by the mega-hit musical HAMILTON.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ratings for this year's telecast were down 31 percent from last year's show. According to Nielsen overnight returns, the telecast averaged a 4.7 rating among metered market households, almost tying for the Tony broadcast from five years ago. The numbers appear to be strong enough to top NBC's coverage of the Stanley Cup Finals, although they may fall short of winning in the Adult 18-49 demo.

This year's ceremony drew a 0.9 rating in adults 18-49 and 6 million viewers, airing on CBS from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. In comparison, the 2016 TONY AWARDS reached a 15-year viewership high, averaging a 6.8 rating among households in overnight returns, ultimately delivering 8.7 million viewers and a 1.6 rating among adults 18-49. The numbers represent a decline of approximately 44% in the demo and 31% in total viewers.

This year marked the 71st anniversary of the TONY Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria's Grand Ballroom. The ceremony is presented by Tony AwaRD Productions, which is a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, which founded the Tonys. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment will return as executive producers. Weiss will also serve as director for the 18th consecutive year.

Photo credit: John P. Filo/CBS