Helped by a perfect stint from a pair of female hosts and an award buzz surrounding hit films and television series, the 70th Golden Globe Awards ceremony drew 19.7 million viewers, the Nielsen Co. said on Monday.

The three-hour live event and a one-hour red carpet show held before the major event which took place overnight in the Beverly Hilton, scored the highest rating since 2007, representing a 17 percent spike from last year when Ricky Gervais emceed the annual event, according to statistics provided by the ratings gathering firm.

Among adults aged from 18 to 49, a 6.4 rating was notched, which is 28 percent up from last year.

This has made the telecast, provided by NBC, the most successful one since 2007 when the award event drew 20 million viewers.

Analysts said Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who hosted the live program, helped draw a large number of female viewers. Their funny but not excessive jab at the Hollywood enlivened the party, which is a stark contrast with Gervais' hosting over the past few years.