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Posted on 09/30/2020 9:33:43 PM PDT by be-baw
UPDATE: An estimated 73.1 million people watched the first presidential debate of 2020, a huge audience but still short of the blockbuster audience for the initial matchup four years ago.
The numbers are from Nielsen and include 16 networks.
In 2016, the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton drew 84 million.
The total viewers for the debate might not have matched the last cycle, but they still were impressive. Only two other debates in the past 45 years have drawn more viewers: In 2016 and in 1980, when Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter met for their only matchup. That debate drew 80.6 million viewers.
But the total is likely to still fall short of the gangbuster ratings for the first presidential debate in 2016, when an estimated 84 million watched Trump meet Hillary Clinton for the first time.
The viewership — which are Nielsen figures released by Fox News — is still a huge audience. It is in line with the viewership of the first presidential debate in 2012, when an estimated 67.2 million watched.
Fox News was the top network, drawing 17.8 million, followed by ABC with 12.6 million, NBC with 9.7 million and CNN with 8.3 million. Among viewers in the 25-54 news demographic, Fox News was on top with 5.3 million, followed by ABC with 4.9 million, NBC with 4.1 million and CNN with 3.5 million.
Fox News said it was the highest-rated presidential debate in cable news history. A record 24 million viewers watched a Fox News primary debate between Trump and other GOP contenders in 2015.
Ever the ratings watcher, Trump touted the numbers for Tuesday’s debate. He wrote, “HIGHEST CABLE TELEVISION RATINGS OF ALL TIME. SECOND HIGHEST OVERALL TELEVISION RATINGS OF ALL TIME. Some day these Fake Media Companies are going to miss me, very badly!!!”
The debate was known for its chaos. Trump repeatedly interrupted Biden, bypassing the debate rules. An exasperated moderator Chris Wallace tried to rein Trump in, but the president continued to flout the debate rules.
“I’ve read some of the reviews, I know people think, Well, gee, I didn’t jump in soon enough,” Wallace told The New York Times on Wednesday. “I guess I didn’t realize — and there was no way you could, hindsight being 20/20 — that this was going to be the president’s strategy, not just for the beginning of the debate but the entire debate.”
I’m rather surprised. I thought for sure this would break all records.
Do these figures include people who watched live-streams on YouTube?
All for Trump....bare minimum for Sleepy Joe.
With the immoderate Chris Waffler spinning the helm hard to the left...who is surprised?
Hmmmm...reports I heard on the radio this morning were that the numbers were UP and a new record set.
I wish that C-SPAN viewers were included. I watch all debates on C-SPAN, only!
We watched on OAN. Love them!
Surprising.
Fire Chris Wallace.
Have Emerald Robinson moderate a debate.
After that, have Tucker Carlson moderate a debate, and watch the world change.
I don’t think so. The article says the tally is from the 16 networks who showed it. I was wondering the same thing. Is there any way to measure viewership via streaming?
“I wish that C-SPAN viewers were included. I watch all debates on C-SPAN, only!”
I watched it on OAN. I don’t know why C-SPAN, OAN and others would not be included in the ratings. Then again, maybe they are...
“The numbers are from Nielsen and include 16 networks.”
No actual commercial interruptions on C-SPAN, plus they show live prep of the presidential debates/vice presidential debates up to an hour before the debates, which I like.
It probably depends on when the measured the audience. I spoke to six casual acquaintances today about it, and five of them said they turned it off after no more than ten minutes because it was an idiotic waste of time.
Wouldn't that disrupt everything including daylight savings time?
If it did break records, do you really think they’d be honest about it?
Getting people to tune out early was likely the intent.
I’m sorry so many obliged.
Having the stupid thing start at 9:00PM on the East Coast didn’t help. Even when I was an avid NFL fan I never watched Monday Night Football games for that very reason.
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Dems don’t want to look at their candidate so they don’t have to admit he’s a con job.
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