The latest numbers are in: a whopping 51.3 million Americans tuned in live to watch Thursday night’s televised debate between President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump.
The highly anticipated prime-time event, organized by CNN and broadcasted on multiple networks, marked the most-viewed moment of the 2024 presidential campaign. It served as a rare mass civic gathering in today’s era of diverse media consumption habits. Nielsen, the traditional TV ratings measurement agency, released the figure on Friday, which did not account for the additional millions who likely watched on digital news platforms and social media.
The substantial TV viewership, akin to that of an N.F.L. conference championship game, may present a challenge for the Biden campaign following the president’s less than stellar performance that caused concern within the Democratic Party leadership.
However, the viewership was down by 30 percent compared to the first Biden-Trump debate in September 2020, which attracted over 73 million viewers. Nielsen reported that Thursday’s debate in Atlanta was the lowest-rated general-election debate since the final showdown between George W. Bush and John Kerry in 2004.
The decrease in viewership can partially be attributed to the timing of the Biden-Trump debate, which took place earlier in the year than usual, before many voters fully engage in the election process. Additionally, overall TV viewership tends to be lower during the summer months, and the number of households with active cable subscriptions has declined significantly since 2020.
CNN, the host of the debate and provider of moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, attracted the highest viewership among all networks, albeit by a narrow margin. Approximately 9.5 million viewers watched live on CNN, with 9.3 million on Fox News and 9.2 million on ABC.
CNN emerged as the clear winner among adults aged 25 to 54, a crucial demographic for advertisers. During the 10 p.m. hour, which featured post-debate analysis, Fox News surpassed CNN in total viewers.
The demographic breakdown of the TV audience skewed towards older viewers, with around two-thirds being over 55, according to Nielsen. Remarkably, viewers who tuned in to watch the debate remained engaged throughout the 99-minute broadcast.
For CNN, the debate served as a much-needed boost amidst recent management changes and declining ratings. The network had fallen behind its competitors and was on track to record its lowest prime-time ratings month since 1991 before the debate.
The possibility of another head-to-head presidential debate later this year remains uncertain. The candidates have agreed to a debate sponsored by ABC on Sept. 10, but either Mr. Biden or Mr. Trump could opt out based on the state of the race post-Labor Day.
