TV Ratings: Fox News Debate Rises Without Donald Trump, Hits 12.5 Million Viewers

The Hollywood Reporter ^ | January 29, 2016 | Marisa Guthrie

[House Atreides]

Donald Trump may have been conspicuously absent, but Thursday night's Republican debate on Fox News Channel nevertheless scored a 8.4 rating and 12.5 million viewers, according to early numbers from Nielsen. That's higher than the returns for the last Republican debate, Jan. 14 on sister net Fox Business Network, and marks the No. 2 telecast in FNC history.

Meanwhile, all the other cable news networks were covering Trump's competing event in Iowa, during which Trump boasted he raised $5 million for veteran's charities. Those other cable news networks, neither of which blanketed the time period with the event, averaged a respective 1.76 million viewers (CNN) and 1.02 million viewers (MSNBC) between 9 and 11 p.m. ET.

[Trumpinator]

If Cruz people will spin truth like this then I can’t see myself ever coming over to that side. One of the things conservatives of all kinds hate is spin and PC. This is PC spin. The debate was a dud ratings wise and buzz wise.

[Boardwalk]

Well if Trump were there, you can bet the moderators and their agenda would have made the debate a lot less focused, serious, and on point. Of course if we got to actually have conservative moderators the debate would actually be serious.

[Boonie]

Is that why Cruz threatened to leave??? I DID see a short bit when Cruz told the moderators if they didn’t get to ISSUES and stop with the attacks and trying to get the candidates to attack he was leaving...

[House Atreides]

If Cruz people will spin truth like this then I can’t see myself ever coming over to that side. One of the things conservatives of all kinds hate is spin and PC. This is PC spin. The debate was a dud ratings wise and buzz wise.
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Wow, so now to TRUMP (LET US LIFT OUR VOICES AND SING HIS PRAISES) fans, posting FACTUAL information is spin and PC?

The mental illness is getting deeper.

[Boonie]

2nd highest in their HISTORY????

I call BS...Show the link that says this....

[Trumpinator]

It is not factual what was said about the Trumplesss debate getting higher ratings than before.

[who knows what evil?]

What a BS headline...last night's debate got HALF the number of viewers as opposed to the LAST debate on the SAME network. Agenda? What agenda?

[the jogger]

Those other cable news networks, neither of which blanketed the time period with the event, averaged a respective 1.76 million viewers (CNN) and 1.02 million viewers (MSNBC) between 9 and 11 p.m. ET.

I guess there also wasn't a mad dash for everyone to go watch Trump's event either.

"On the other hand, according to Google, "debate live stream" beat out searches for "Trump live stream" by 170% on Thursday night."(CNN Money)

[zek157]

Don’t confuse them with actual numbers. 12.5 is better than 24 In their world.

[Stentor]

The mental illness is getting deeper.

How ironic.

[Cboldt]

-- The raw context would be better served to compare the FNC numbers to the previous FNC numbers, or the previous CNN numbers, which are platforms holding a similar market penetration. --

My point was that even that comparison has no value, meaning, or significance, except to advertisers. It's a distraction from the political campaigns.

[VideoDoctor]

Here's what COUNTS. HOW VOTERS FEEL.

**DRUDGE POLL** WHO IS YOUR REPUBLICAN PICK FOR PRESIDENT?

• BUSH
  1%
  10,816 votes
• CARSON
  1%
  14,233 votes
• CHRISTIE
  1%
  12,170 votes
• CRUZ
  20%
  189,446 votes
• FIORINA
  1%
  11,156 votes
• HUCKABEE
  <1%
  3,035 votes
• KASICH
  2%
  15,078 votes
• PAUL
  5%
  51,711 votes
• RUBIO
  8%
  76,976 votes
• SANTORUM
  <1%
  2,600 votes
• TRUMP
  59%
  564,624 votes

951,845 Total Votes

[longtermmemmory]

or realistically it is the fact Fox Business Channel is not part of basic packages and does not have the same potential viewers as fox news.

[cincinnati65]

Are you kidding? Fox News just put on the worst rated GOP Debate broadcast on a major news network.

Comparing the "improvement" of Fox News ratings vs. Fox Business News ratings is like being shocked a Buick beat a Yugo in a drag race.

[mmichaels1970]

Fox News Debate Rises Without Donald Trump, Hits 12.5 Million Viewers

Wait a rock pickin' minute...didn't FNC have 24 million viewers the last time it hosted a debate with the exact same moderators?

C'mon. I watched the debate and enjoyed it. Spinning the debate as a huge ratings success though is pushing it.

If they're going to brag, I suppose it's ok to brag that their ratings were higher than Trump's on CNN at the same time.

[Boonie]

“The Hollywood Reporter”
A real conservative site if I ever saw one....

[JLAGRAYFOX]

This post is an outright lie. Fox New Channel dropped 13,000,000 viewers from its first Debate (24,000,000 viewers). You cannot use the comparison of Fox News Channel to Fox Business Channel, simplly because FBN is a much smaller TV network then “giant” FNC!!! Trump slaughtered Fox News Channel grabbing 14,000,000 viewers who tuned in on CNN, MSNBC, C-Span, OAN, Numerous live feeds, etc. actually Roger Ailes & Megyn Kelly should be immediately fired for degrading the brand of FNC!!!

[House Atreides]

It is not factual what was said about the Trumplesss debate getting higher ratings than before.
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Actually, NOOB, it IS factual. Last night’s (i.e., January 28, 2016) debate got higher ratings than the most recent previous debate (i.e., January 14, 2016). Did the writer of the article somehow miss a debate that occurred between Jan 14 & Jan 28.

[VideoDoctor]

If they're going to brag, I suppose it's ok to brag that their ratings were higher than Trump's on CNN at the same time.

Trump's event was carried "live" on the Internet, as well as on CNN, MSNBC, OANN, and C-SPAN.

Aggregating all of those and you come up with a lot of viewers.

Personally, I watched Trump's event on C-SPAN.

[meowmeow]

...and they are going to raise the chocolate ration to 20 grams!