Sep 11, 2024 - Politics & Policy
Nearly 60 million watched debate
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At least 58 million people watched last night's presidential debate, according to preliminary Nielsen figures released today.
- That's about 6.5 million more than watched the debate between former President Trump and President Biden.
- And the numbers will probably rise once Nielsen finishes a more comprehensive tally.
👀 Context: The highest-rated game in the NFL's opening week averaged 29 million viewers. The debate roughly doubled that.
🗳️ Why it matters: Americans are tuned in to this election, especially now that Harris has replaced Biden atop the Democratic ticket.
- Her well-received performance — and Trump's diversions into personal grievances and conspiracy theories — had a large audience even without accounting for coverage of the debate, or clips shared on social media. Those are likely to reach millions more people.
- The debate gave voters a rare chance to see Harris answer questions, and may end up being the only opportunity to see the two candidates face off directly.
🎤 Trump told "Fox and Friends" this morning that he is "less inclined" to participate in another debate before the election.
