The annual spotlight on the Broadway theatre had an average viewership of 6.921 million — down minimally from the 7 million viewers of last year's broadcast — and a 1.2 preliminary rating among adults 18-49, according to TVbythenumbers.zap2it.com. That rating is up a tenth (nine percent) from last year's broadcast.

Neil Patrick Harris hosted the annual telecast, which was broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre. The last time Harris hosted the Tony Awards, in 2009, 7.4 million viewers watched the broadcast, according to the New York Times.

TVbythenumbers.com says ABC, which offered the NBA Finals, won the ratings race for the evening. Final ratings numbers are expected later today.

Tony Awards Productions released the following information June 13:

The Tony Awards posted year-to-year gains in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen preliminary live plus same-day ratings. From 8:00-11:00 PM, airing opposite Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Tony ceremony was second in households (4.5/07), viewers (6.92 million) and adults 25-54 (1.6/04) and tied for second in adults 18-49 (1.2/03, with NBC).

Compared to last year's event (on the same night last year), the Tony broadcast was up +2 percent in households (from 4.4/08) and +9 percent in adults 18-49 (from 1.1/03) and was even in adults 25-54.