Oscars ratings up, but not as much as Grammys

(CBS/ AP) NEW YORK - The Oscars got a TV ratings boost from the return of host Billy Crystal but it couldn't match the audience the Grammys pulled in just weeks before.

Special Section: Oscars 2012
Special Section: Grammys 2012

The Nielsen Co. estimated Monday that 39.3 million people watched the Oscars on ABC Sunday night, up from the 37.9 million viewers during the much-panned 2011 show where James Franco and Anne Hathaway shared hosting duties.

Crystal was called in after original host Eddie Murphy pulled out. It was the ninth time Crystal has done that job and he delivered, despite worries that best picture winner "The Artist" would not be much of an audience draw.

Nielsen said 39.9 million people watched the Grammy Awards on CBS on Feb. 12. That huge audience was likely due to the popularity of big winner Adele and curiosity about how Grammy producers would address the death of singer Whitney Houston the day before the show.

It was only the second time since the two events were televised that the Grammys earned a bigger audience than the Oscars. After the Super Bowl, the Oscars are frequently the second most-watched TV event of the year.

The only other time the Grammys prevailed on TV was in 1984, when Michael Jackson was the big winner; that telecast had 51.7 million viewers.