Trump-Harris debate draws big audience of 65 million viewers: ratings

[highplainsdem]

Source: NY Daily News

An estimated 65 million viewers tuned in to watch the debate between former President Trump and Vice President Harris, preliminary overnight television ratings revealed Wednesday.

The estimate, based on results in the nation’s major TV markets, is 28% bigger than the number of viewers who saw Trump face off against President Biden in June.

The debate hosted by ABC drew an overnight rating of 32.8 and a 70% share of all viewers across eight networks that aired it, meaning just under a third of Americans watched.

The ratings were even higher in battleground Pennsylvania, with the nation’s highest rating coming in Pittsburgh at 44.2. The No. 2 market was Philadelphia, where it drew a 43.4 rating. New York clocked in at a healthy 36.7, putting it at No. 7 among top markets.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/09/11/trump-harris-debate-draws-big-audience-of-65-million-viewers-ratings/

[pat_k]

1. Actually, likely more

Estimates based on rating share aren't very accurate. I expect a higher number to be released later, but could of course be wrong.

[ColinC]

2. Well if you include most people didn't watch by themselves, it could be wayyy more that actually saw it

[slightlv]

6. I agree with you, Colin!

While we did just a hubs and wife debate party, I was texting with another couple doing the same thing in another city. And it seems even some bars did watch parties. I think the worm has turned!

And I didn't see anything about the numbers of people streaming it or getting it on media other than TV. Maybe it was in the full article, I admit I didn't read it. But the kids aren't watching it on TV! They're streaming it on their phones and other devices. I think they could have missed most of an entire generation if they only used "old-style" metrics.

[ColinC]

8. Exactly! I did the same thing as you with my wife.

[Basso8vb]

3. I watched on the PBS News Hour YouTube channel

Tens of thousands more were watching on streaming platforms on top of the traditional networks.

[pat_k]

7. Of course, those never get added in.

With more people streaming things every year, comparison of "traditional" viewers of an event relative to past events get less and less meaningful, but comparing numbers who view events close in time does give an idea of the relative audience size.

[yankee87]

4. On-Line Also

I just happened to watch this on-line with Chris Norford.

[IronLionZion]

5. Plus online streaming services

which is how I watched it.