The 32.9million viewers tuning into Sunday's Academy Awards represented a drop-off of more than a million from last year and Oscars' smallest audience since 2008.

The Nielsen company said Monday that viewership dipped notably from the 34.3million who watched the ABC telecast in 2016.

In 2008, just 32million viewers tuned in.

The ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, maintained a political edge as many winners, presenters and Kimmel himself took repeated digs at President Donald Trump and was marred by opposition from Trump supporters and a mix-up in announcing the winner for Best Picture, which was first given to the wrong film for the first time in history.

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The 89th Annual Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, drew just 32.9million viewers marking a nine-year low

An anti-Trump sentiment was hardly unexpected after the politically charged atmosphere of the Golden Globes, which aired in early January with a number of onstage voices, particularly Meryl Streep's, taking to task the then-president-elect.

After that, some Trump supporters called for a viewer boycott of the Oscarcast, which may have partly accounted for the audience's fall-off from last year.

But audience erosion has been Oscar's trend for three years straight. In both 2014 and 2013, the awards show reached more than 40million viewers, whereas 37.3million were watching in 2015.

Not that Sunday's show didn't pack a big surprise, which was saved for the end. That was when presenter Faye Dunaway mistakenly declared 'La La Land' as Oscar-winning best picture before the record was corrected to 'Moonlight.'

In what is being called the most dramatic moment in Academy Award history, the Oscar for Best Picture was accidentally first given to La La Land, then awarded to Moonlight after the mistake was noticed and the crowd went wild

The awards ended in controversy when presenters Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty mistakenly announced 'La La Land' as the best picture winner after getting the wrong envelope.

The actual winner, 'Moonlight,' was eventually announced.

The awards ceremony was laden with political commentary, with many winners voicing their opinion at recent implications from the Trump administration.

Comments ranged from humorous to grave, with host Jimmy Kimmel throwing a few jabs at the President, while Iranian director Asghar Farhadi had previously said he was not attending the Oscars in revolt against Trump's immigration ban.

Kimmel made no attempt to veil his jokes towards the president, who recently announced he would not attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which typically consists of a lighthearted roast of the president from the media and comedians.

He began his speech by saying: 'This broadcast is being watched by millions of Americans and around the world by more than 225 countries that now hate us and I think that is an amazing thing. As you know, I don't have to tell anybody, the country is divided right now.

'Some of you will get to come up on this stage tonight and give a speech that the President of the United States will tweet about in all caps during his 5am bowel movement tomorrow. And I think that's pretty darn excellent if you ask me, so let's get going.'

Kimmel made no attempt to veil his jokes towards the president, beginning his speech with some cheeky jabs

Iranian director Asghar Farhadi had previously said he was not attending the Oscars in revolt against Trump's immigration ban

Farhadi's statement was read when he received the Academy Award for best foreign film for his drama, The Salesman.

It said: 'I'm sorry I'm not with you tonight. My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and the other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.'

Trump supporters had recently launched a campaign to boycott the Oscars, to express their protest of the 'limousine liberals' who don't represent them.

VIEWS BY THE NUMBER 2017: 32.9million 2016: 34.4million 2015: 37.3million 2014: 43.7million 2013: 40.3million 2012: 39.3million 2011: 37.9million 2010: 41.3million 2009: 36.3million 2008: 32.0million 2007: 40. 2million 2006: 38.9million 2005: 42.1million 2004: 43.5million 2003: 33.0million 2002: 41.8million 2001: 42.9million Courtesy of Deadline Advertisement

An anti-Oscar protest was even held in Los Angeles yesterday that ended with a brawl between two women.

The boycott originated in a widely shared Facebook post from Arizona women's group 'Tempe Republican Women,' which urged followers to vote with their remote controls and switch off the Oscars.

'It is important that we, the deplorables, show the likes of Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Alec Baldwin, Cher ... that we, the backbone and decent people of America, are more united than the bitter, unhappy, angry, divisive people of the entertainment industry,' the post said.

The angry Facebook post went on to call Hollywood liberals 'arrogant, pompous, pampered soulless individuals' who are 'evil-hearted.'

The decline in overall viewership of the Academy Awards is on par with the national decline in Americans watching television as a whole.

The rise of streaming services has notably lowered the amount that people spend in front of the television - at least watching the original broadcasting of their favorite shows.