ETALK Garners Highest Audience Ever with 1.34 Million Canadians for ETALK AT THE OSCARS on CTV

– THE OSCARS^® is the #1 program of the day with total viewers and in all key demos with 5.2 million viewers, while OSCARS OPENING CEREMONY: LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET ranks #2 for the day with 3 million viewers –
– ETALK delivers a full Oscar recap, including exclusive interviews with newly minted Oscar-winners, tonight at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV –
– On Twitter, #etalkredcarpet and everything Oscars-related trends across Canada –
– Viewers can visit CTV.ca to catch the buzzed-about must-see moments from the night, as well as the full OSCARS broadcast, the thank-you cam, and interviews from the press room – 

To tweet this release: http://bmpr.ca/1zAMRwt

TORONTO, Feb. 23, 2015 /CNW/ - It was a golden night for ETALK Sunday as the homegrown series delivered its largest audience on record with 1.34 million viewers tuning in for the Canadian red carpet special ETALK AT THE OSCARS, preliminary overnight data from Numeris (BBM Canada) confirms. The special drew the highest audience ever for an entertainment news program in Canada, and kicked off a star-studded night on CTV that culminated with 5.2 million viewers for THE OSCARS. The highest-rated entertainment program since last year's OSCARS broadcast, the live awards special delivered a 48% share with approximately one in two English-language Canadians who were watching TV last night tuning into the 3.5-hour program. In all, nearly 13 million unique viewers watched some or all of the show.

During last night's record-breaking broadcast of ETALK AT THE OSCARS, Anchor Ben Mulroney interviewed stars such as Patricia Arquette, Marion Cotillard, Ethan Hawke, Michael Keaton, Dakota Johnson, Matt McGorry, director Richard Linklater, Tegan and Sara, and Andy Samberg. Meanwhile, Co-Anchor Danielle Graham and Reporter Lainey Lui provided their thoughts on all the red carpet arrivals from their exclusive vantage point on the balcony. With social media buzzing, both #etalkredcarpet and everything Oscars-related was trending across Canada. Viewers can catch-up on the must-see moments, the full broadcast, the thank you cam, interviews from the press room, and more at Oscars.CTV.ca.

** Media Note ** Download photos of ETALK and THE OSCARS at BellMediaPR.ca

A closer look at Numeris (BBM Canada) preliminary data for Thursday: 

• OSCARS OPENING CEREMONY: LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET became the #2 program of the day with total viewers and in all key demos with 3 million viewers.
• Hosted by GOOD MORNING AMERICA anchors Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer, and LIVE WITH KELLY AND MICHAEL co-host Michael Strahan, the red carpet special saw its highest overnight audience since 2010.
• On Sunday, THE OSCARS and OSCARS OPENING CEREMONY: LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET were the Top 2 programs in all metered markets.
• Last night, video viewing of OSCARS clips and highlights were almost three times higher than views of the same complementary content last year. That increase includes 55 thousand views of this year's exclusive Press Room Camera feed.

In one of ETALK's biggest broadcasts of the year, tonight's special Oscar-edition, airing at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO, gives viewers a full recap of Hollywood's biggest night. The ETALK team, including Ben Mulroney, Danielle Graham, Lainey Lui, and Jessi Cruickshank, report on location from outside the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, bringing viewers exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage of the most buzzed-about after parties, backstage moments, and exclusive red carpet highlights not seen during Sunday night's live broadcast. ETALK's exclusive red carpet interviews include 2015 Oscar winners Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything), Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), and J.K. Simmons (Whiplash); plus A-list celebrities Mark Ruffalo, Jared Leto, Reese Witherspoon, Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike, Felicity Jones, Adam Levine, Michael Keaton, Steve Carell, and more. ETALK L.A. Correspondent Jessi Cruickshank also brings viewers exclusive party highlights from Elton John's annual post-Oscar bash, and Canada's #1 entertainment news show also takes viewers behind the velvet rope at this year's Governor's Ball and Vanity Fair parties. The show also includes ETALK's regular "Judge Jessi" series where Jessi also breaks down the night's best and worst red carpet looks.  

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Twitter:
@CTV_PR
@CTV_Television
@etalkCTV

Facebook:
facebook.com/ctv
Facebook.com/etalkCTV

Instagram:
ETALKCTV
BellMediaPR

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 13 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at CTV.ca.

– CTV –

Source: Numeris (BBM Canada), overnight vs. overnight
CTV electronic audience databases incorporate data beginning in 1994.
Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters.

SOURCE CTV

Jacqui VanSickle, CTV Networks, 416.384.5091 or [email protected]; Christy Sullivan, CTV Networks, 416.384.3624 or [email protected]