'Hamilton' Boosts Tony Awards To Record Ratings For CBS

Of the big four awards, the Tonys don't usually get the biggest ratings. However, this year the Broadway kudos-fest had a very big night for CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS).

In what is being dubbed "The Hamilton Effect," ratings for this year's telecast hit sky-high levels. The James Corden-hosted show drew 8.7 million total viewers and an 18–49 demo rating of 1.6.

Related Link: Despite Falling 1 Tony Short Of Record, "Hamilton" Success Is Unprecedented

By comparison, that's a 35 percent jump in viewers and a 60 percent jump in the demo year-to-year. Yet, more impressively, those represent the highest numbers for the Tonys in more than a decade.

No doubt helping the Tonys was the lack of competition from the NBA Finals, which put a dent in the awards numbers last year. Still, the allure of (what turned out to be) multiple performances of the record-breaking musical were always going to be a draw.

CBS has been the home for the Tony Awards since 1978.