Surprise! Perennially Awful Tony Ratings Rise 17 Percent.

“In a time of lowered ratings nearly everywhere else, Sunday’s 63rd Annual Tony Awards — capped by 10 wins for the Elton John musical ‘Billy Elliot’ — actually delivered improved numbers. An average of 7.4 million total viewers tuned in to the three-hour Tony telecast, up 17% compared with last year and the best figure since 2006, according to early data from Nielsen Media Research.”