The ABC News presidential debate on September 10 between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris became the most-watched network debate in 16 years, drawing an average of over 67 million television viewers. This figure excludes streaming platforms and only includes viewers from networks like ABC, CNN, Fox News, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and Fox. It does not count those who watched on Newsmax, PBS, and other smaller outlets.
In total, an average of 26.4 million people viewed the debate through both traditional TV and streaming services. ABC also reported it was the most-streamed live event on Disney+ in the U.S.
The ABC debate attracted 15.83 million more viewers compared to the June 27 CNN debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, who later dropped out and endorsed Harris. That CNN debate saw 51.3 million viewers, the lowest since the first debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012.
An average of 19 million viewers tuned in directly to ABC for the Trump-Harris debate, with a broader viewership of 21.32 million aged 25 to 54 across all networks. This represented a 54 percent increase over the CNN debate. The 18 to 49 demographic saw 54.4 million viewers, 53 percent more than CNN's debate.
Nielsen provided the viewership data, and ESPN noted that the debate drew 46.6 million more viewers than the Monday Night Football game between the Jets and 49ers, which attracted 20.5 million viewers, making it the second most-watched game in the series' 19-year history. The top spot was held by a 2023 match between the Jets and the Bills, which saw 22.7 million viewers.
.jpg){kind=logo}
0 Comments