There was no competition from The Sopranos this year, but overnight ratings indicate that the 2008 Tony telecast attracted a viewership on par with last year's historic low numbers. According to Variety, the Tonys averaged a 1.1 rating/3 share in adults ages 18 to 49 and a total of 6.2 million viewers from 8 to 11pm. Overall, according to overnight ratings compiled by Zap2it, CBS's Tony telecast finished third with a 4.5 rating/8 share, although it moved up to second place in the second and third hours.
As in previous years, the Tonys faced stiff competition from the NBA finals; a game between the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics won the evening for ABC, pulling in a 6.3 rating and 11 share, with more than 17 million viewers overall. NBC came in second with the U.S. Open golf tournament, but dropped to third place behind the Tonys later in the evening when it aired Saturday Night Live: The Best of Mike Myers.
With few "name" stars among the nominees, the Tonys attempted to draw a mainstream audience by concentrating on musical numbers from 13 shows, devoting the first five minutes of the telecast to a number from The Lion King, the 1998 Best Musical winner. Whoopi Goldberg hosted the show, and presenters included Laura Linney, Alec Baldwin, Mary-Louise Parker and Liza Minnelli.
