Republican Debate Draws 24 Million Viewers

[Purveyor]

Source: New York Times

By JOHN KOBLINAUG. 7, 2015

Fox News’s telecast of Thursday night’s Republican debate drew 23.9 million viewers, making it the highest-rated program ever for Fox News and among the most-viewed events in cable TV history.

The debate smashed previous records for primary debates and is the ninth-most-viewed cable program ever, according to Nielsen. The top eight were college football games broadcast on ESPN.

The raucous debate featured 10 presidential candidates, with Donald J. Trump, the Republican candidate leading in the polls, drawing the most airtime and providing some of the night’s most memorable moments. The Fox News moderators, Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier, were pointed in their questions and drew praise for the performance, helping to lead the way for two hours of spirited television.

Thursday’s debate significantly beat the viewership of the first Republican debate in 2011, which drew 3.2 million viewers.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/business/media/republican-debate-draws-24-million-viewers.html?_r=0

[Xipe Totec]

1. Viewers? Or gawkers? nt

[femmocrat]

5. Wonder if it includes all the people in airports, doctors' offices and supermarkets...

who are captive audiences and can't turn the channel?

[yeoman6987]

14. No no no no it doesn't

Only Nielsen families are included in ratings. That's it period!! You can have it in 290 million homes but if the 100,000 Nielsen families are not watching, the show would be a bust. Has worked this way for 70 years.

[csziggy]

21. Nielsen ratings would not be available yet

The Nielsen families fill out diaries for a week at a time. The diaries for this week would not be back to the company for compilation yet.

We were a Nielsen family a year or so back - that's how I know the procedure.

I am not sure how any company can track active viewers for immediate claims about the number of viewers as in this story.

[yeoman6987]

22. Of course I don't know specifics but one thing is

I think you were so lucky to be a Nielsen family. I have wanted to forever.

[csziggy]

25. It was a fun experience but kind of a pain

We had to indicate what we watched in every 15 minute interval. If it was a movie with no ads, that was OK but I'm a channel hopper and change when the commercials come on, sometimes I don't turn back. So some hours there would be four or more shows listed. But the channels need to know that they can lose viewers to commercials.

[yeoman6987]

28. Does sound like a pain. Sounds like you did an

Excellent job.

[Yupster]

29. I did it about 20 years ago

I found it hard too because I rarely watched a complete show or movie.

I got some pay though. I don't remember whether a dollar or five dollars came with the booklet, but I remember there was some currency that came with the booklet. Kind of like jury duty.

[big_dog]

30. like nascar

looking for a major wreck

[jalan48]

2. Interesting.

So the DNC thinks more debates are unnecessary?

[marble falls]

3. About 20,000,000 were watching ironically. Some were watching just praying for a crash and burn.

[William Seger]

4. Good

The more exposure these clowns get, the better.

[CrispyQ]

6. A Democratic friend had a Debate/Clown Show party.

I couldn't go, but I heard it was a blast. Lot's of drinking & laughing, but with an undertone of seriousness as everyone realized half the country will vote for one of these . . . jerks.

[leftynyc]

7. Not surprised

Everyone I know was watching - we were all texting eachother. Everyone loves the circus.

[Live and Learn]

8. Everybody loves a good circus.

ETA: Sorry Lefty just noticed your post. Great minds and all that... lol

[FSogol]

15. Everyone on the highway slows down to look at an accident.

[jwirr]

9. Most of them were there for the circus not the debate.

[Sunlei]

10. Everyone wanted to see Donald Trump dominate all the losers. Be the last time fox gets Trump free.

[jtuck004]

11. Give them a couple months head start on capturing the minds. Heck of a job. n/t

[truthisfreedom]

12. How many yawns?

Yawn.

[truthisfreedom]

13. 100% scripted btw

Except for that tiny skirmish between Rand and The retrumplican.

[cstanleytech]

16. Once they leave the safety of the Fox News playpen it will be interesting to see if the

same numbers happen.

[JoePhilly]

17. Reality TV is popular.

[ancianita]

18. Ironic or sincere, the watchers made up less than 8% of the country. Glad I didn't add to the count.

[AC_Mem]

19. They were laughing at them

Not with them. Seriously, if 24 million can watch that train wreck and think there is a candidate that could lead this country, well, I just give up.

[Liberal_in_LA]

20. even I listened on the radio to hear what Trump would say

[Purveyor]

24. That's how I listened to it until I found a renigrade stream

via roku.

I was sufficiently entertained...

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

23. I wonder where they got 23.9 million?

[misterhighwasted]

26. HaHaa..Kim K's Selfies with Hillary got 34 million views!

[ReallyIAmAnOptimist]

27. Lots of viewers were surely Sports fans...

...waiting for car crashes.
Even Dems were being encouraged to watch by the Wasserman-Schultz.