Veep Debate Rating Around Half That of Palin-Biden’s

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UPDATED: NBC led all networks in vice presidential debate ratings Tuesday, with 7.03 million total viewers, ahead of CBS’ 6.46 million, ABC’s 6.15 million, Fox News Channel’s 6.08 million, CNN’s 4.17 million, MSNBC’s 3.13 million, Fox’s 2.21 million and Fox Business Network’s 392,000.

Adding in PBS, Nielsen said around 37 million tuned in to the debate, which pitted GOP hopeful Mike Pence against Democrat Tim Kaine. Elaine Quijano, anchor at CBSN, moderated the showdown in Virginia. That number came nowhere near the viewership for the 2012 VP debate, with Joe Biden versus Paul Ryan (51.4 million) or the 2008 matchup featuring Biden and Sarah Palin, at nearly 70 million.

Among viewers 25-54, it was, again, NBC (3.0 million), then CBS (1.88 million), then ABC (1.86 million). CNN drew 1.68 million, Fox News 1.51 million, Fox broadcast 1.12 million, MSNBC 908,000 and Fox Business 84,000.

Back in 2012, CBS drew 8.31 million total viewers for the VP debate, while ABC stood at 8.29 million and NBC at 7.85 million.

A full 84 million watched the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Sept. 26. The two face off again Oct. 9.

Michael Malone
Michael Malone

Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.