Oscars ratings surged 56% after Will Smith’s viral slap

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Sunday's Academy Awards featured historic wins and a slap that went viral.

Will Smith wrote an apology on Instagram in part, "my behavior at last night's Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable."

The show drew an average of 15.3 million viewers for ABC.

That's a 56% increase from last year's show which brought in just under 10 million viewers, an all time low.

The Oscars featured one of the most shocking moments in the show's long history.

Actor Will Smith walked onstage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Smith later returned to the stage to accept the Oscar for Best Actor and apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees.

The altercation blew up on social media immediately after it happened, which may have drawn some people to tune into the show's final hour.