52.4 Million Watched McCain And Obama’s First Debate
According to data from across 11 networks, the first presidential debate on September 26 between John McCain and Barack Obama drew 52.4 million viewers.
The TV audience for the first presidential debate of the 2008 election was roughly 16% smaller than the audience for the first debate between President Bush and John Kerry during the 2004 election, which drew 62.5 million viewers on September 30, 2004. See more historical debate ratings.
ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telefutura, Telemundo, BBC-America, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, and MSNBC aired live coverage of the McCain/Obama debate from approximately 9pm to 10:45pm EST.
Read coverage of Nielsen’s findings in the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Media Life, and by the Associated Press.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
[...] • GAS CRISIS LEAVES SC STRANDED — I had to go to about 10 gas stations over the weekend just to fill up my car. And if you live in Greenville, Spartanburg or a number of other urban areas across the state, you’re probably experiencing a similar problem. AAA Carolinas said they have seen a 25 percent increase in car towing over the last few weeks in parts of South Carolina where availability was scarce. Also scarce: Viewers for last Friday night’s debate. [...]
September 29th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
[...] The Nielson ratings for the debate weren’t actually that high. More people watched the first Bush/Kerry debate and this year’s conventions. [...]
September 29th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
[...] Than 50 Million Watched Debate Posted by admin, under Political Nielsen just released its ratings for Friday’s presidential debate. The overall number of people who [...]
September 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
[...] from Nielsen: According to data from across 11 networks, the first presidential debate on September 26 between [...]
September 30th, 2008 at 11:06 am
[...] Just 52.4 million people tuned in to watch the first presidential debate. The second lowest was the 1976 debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter
September 30th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
[...] how many people watched Friday’s debate: According to data from across 11 networks, the first presidential debate on September 26 between [...]
September 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
The other 12 million are at the game, silly! How could a debate be held on Friday night and expect more people when Main Street USA is at high school football games all across the country. Would be interesting to know if the Bush/Kerry debate in 2004 was on a different night of the week.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Hi, I watched the debates 2 days later on the internet, your numbers, they do not count me, do they?
Lets NOT make generalities as to the interst level of the American people based solely on the number of people with so little going on in their lives that they were able to tune in and watch the debates live.
It is 2008. Get used to it.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I’m assuming these counts don’t include all the people, including myself and others I know, that chose to watch the debate online at our own leisure.
September 30th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
[...] Nielsen Final Rating [...]
September 30th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Maybe becuase it was at 9pm on a Friday during a time in which a few Friday night beverages is most needed by the common American
September 30th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
The 2004 Bush/Kerry debate fell on a Thursday night.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
The reason is simple, the idots didnt realize that friday nights across the US is high school football night. I am a high school football coach and I would have watched the debate had it been on any other night.
September 30th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
I’m quite sure this doesn’t include people who watched it online. Which strikes me as odd, because on the SAME page as this article, is another article stating the low season premiere ratings… why? because people are turning to the internet for news, entertainment, movies, music, etc. Get with the Times, Nielsen!
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:03 am
[...] according to Nielsen (the ratings system, not Leslie the slapstick actor), 52.4 million concerned Americans tuned in to watch John McCain and Barack Obama engage in some good old verbal [...]
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:36 pm
[...] Maybe Friday night is just a bad night for political television. The debate attracted only 52.4 million people. The second lowest was the 1976 debate between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter—and even they pulled [...]
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:27 am
Was it that people just do not care about this at all or was it a small portion of Americans choosing between forgetting about it because its in our faces ALL of the time and watching a ball game? Its sad when we get all of the information and then we don’t do anything about it. This is a serious situation. I wish everyone would be more aware.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[...] say that out loud.” Regardless of how I felt about McCain’s style, there were 52.4 million other viewers tuning in as [...]