TV audience for Oscars rebounds slightly

Host Jimmy Kimmel speaks at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (Chris Pizzello/AP)

Whether it was the lingering drama of The Slap or the prominence of blockbusters in the best picture race, a bigger TV audience was lured back to the Oscars this year.

The 95th Academy Awards, which aired on Sunday night on ABC, was viewed by an estimated 18.7 million, according to preliminary Fast National Live+Same Day numbers released on Monday by ABC.