The ninth Democratic Debate draws a record 19.7M audience
The latest Democratic Presidential Debate, which was a first for the former mayor of New York City Mike Bloomberg, pulled in a record 19.7 million viewers for NBC News and MSNBC, according to Thursday report from Deadline.
The two networks reportedly beat NBC’s previous 18.1 million record from the Democratic Debate’s second night in June, which was broadcast by NBC News, MSNBC and Telemundo. Apart from TV, NBC claims the debate generated 13.5 million live video streams and 22 million video views across its digital platforms, according to Deadline.
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Democratic presidential candidates from left-to-right: Mike Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Additionally, NBC says these digital figures translate into an average audience size of 417,000 viewers, according to Nielsen data. The Wednesday broadcast earned a 1.8 rating in the adults 18 to 49 demographic, which amounted to an impressive 10 million viewers. However, the numbers are expected to be adjusted, according to Deadline.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CMCSA | COMCAST CORP. | 40.36 | -0.21 | -0.52% |
The debate aired at 9 p.m. EST, but not all viewers flocked to NBC right away.
FOX Corporation’s hit competition show, “The Masked Singer,” remained strong with a Nielsen rating of 1.9 with the 18 to 49 demographic and a total viewership of 7.02 million. Additions, FOX’s show, “Lego Masters,” which debuted on Feb. 5, had an uptick in this demographic with a Nielsen rating of 1.0 and a total viewership of 3.1 million.
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CBS also had success with its 40th season of “Survivor,” which garnered a 1.4 rating from Nielsen in the 18 to 49 demographic and a total viewership of 7.16 million, which was the second most-watched series after the debate Wednesday night. The two-part finale of “Criminal Minds” competed with the debate and wrangled in a 0.8 rating and viewership of 5.35 million.
ABC had a one-tenth slip in this key demographic, according to Deadline, with the “The Goldbergs” earning a 0.8 Nielsen rating and a total viewership of 3.97 million. The second season of “Schooled” and the final season of “Modern Family” also had a dip earning a rating of 0.6 and 0.7, respectively, and a total viewership of 2.93 million and 3.26 million. ABC’s “Single Parents” and “Stumptown” were low as well but held steady with ratings of 0.6 and 0.4 and a total viewership of 2.23 million for each.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOXA | FOX CORP. | 31.71 | +0.32 | +1.00% |
| VIAC | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| DIS | THE WALT DISNEY CO. | 113.75 | +1.76 | +1.57% |
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Viewership from the ninth Democratic Debate was more than double the amount seen on the Feb. 7 debate in New Hampshire, which was hosted by ABC News, WMUR-TV and Apple News and had a viewership total of around 6.85 million. The low turnout wasn’t too odd considering the debate was aired on a Friday evening.
The previous debate hosted by CNN on Jan. 14 was slightly higher with an estimated 7.86 million watching the broadcast live that Tuesday.
CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute are set to host the next Democratic debate on Tuesday, Feb. 25, from Charleston, S.C. The event will be broadcast on BET. That debate will be the Democratic presidential candidates' last-ditch effort to sway voters before Super Tuesday primary contests in March.
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