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- Even though Tuesday night’s debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden was called the potentially most-watched debate in American history, early ratings paint a different picture.
- Nielsen found that television viewership declined by more than 35% since the first debate in 2016, which maintains the title of the most viewed contest.
- Only 28.82 million people tuned in to the big four networks, compared to more than 45 million in the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton.
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden fell short of expectations of being the most-watched in American history, down 35% from the first in 2016, according to Nielsen.
In Nielsen’s first “national fast” ratings first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, just 28.82 million people tuned in to the big four networks, compared to more than 45 million in the first Trump-Hillary Clinton debate.
More data will enter the scene from cable networks and away from home, but the sharp decline in the first numbers indicates a phenomenon supported by polls: much of the electorate has made a decision and has decided to disconnect.
The latest NBC / Wall Street Journal poll found that only 11% of respondents identified as undecided voters.
Discussion ratings are usually the highest on the first night.
In 2012, 67.2 million were tuned in. In 2008, that number was 52.4 million.
