8.7 million watched Night 1 of second Democratic debate
- Sara Fischer, author ofAxios Media Trends
Candidates at the Democratic debate in Detroit. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
More than 8 million people tuned into Night 1 of the second round of Democratic primary debates for the 2020 cycle, according to preliminary numbers from Nielsen.
Why it matters: It was a significantly smaller audience than that of the first round of debates that aired in June — which drew 15.3 million viewers on Night 1, while the second totaled 18.1 million viewers.
Yes, but: Those debates aired live across 3 networks: MSNBC, NBC and Telemundo.
Between the lines: CNN says this was its second-highest Democratic debate for live viewership on record, next to its October 2015 Democratic debate in Las Vegas. It says it was also its second most-watched debate on livestream.
Go deeper: First 2020 primary debate breaks viewership records