The two-and-a-half hour series finale of “Lost” attracted an average audience of 13.5 million viewers, according to network officials at ABC, The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog reported Monday.
Those ratings — the best for “Lost” in two years — were good enough to win the top spot of the night, but didn’t make the episode a runaway smash compared to other major TV events, especially given the amount of promotion and fanfare that went into the sendoff. By comparison, this year’s Oscars grabbed 41.3 million viewers.
The numbers are further proof that “Lost” has always been more of a cult attraction rather than a huge commercial hit. The show’s lead-in, a two-hour recap special leading up to the finale, drew an average audience of 9.8 million viewers, also strong numbers.