Vice Presidential Debate Drew 57.9 Million Viewers

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
last updated

Viewer count more than doubled from 2016 telecast

VP Mike Pence battled a fly and Democrat Kamala Harris as 57.9 million tuned in (Image credit: CNN)

The vice presidential debate Wednesday night drew 57.9 million viewers, up 56% from 37.2 million viewers in 2016, according to Nielsen.

Nielsen said that 18 networks aired live or tape delayed coverage from about 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET and that overall, the debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence generated a 33.7 household rating, up 41% from 2016.

Four years ago, when Pence debated Tim Kaine, it drew a 23.5 rating.

Related: Viewership Insights for the First Presidential Debate

The first presidential debate on Sept. 29 drew 73.1 million people, according to Nielsen.

For the VP debate, Fox News had the most total viewers with 11.5 million people tuning in.

ABC had 9.4 million viewers, CNN had 7.3 million, MSNBC had 6.7 million, NBC had 6.6 million, CBS had 5.2 million and Fox had 4.1 million.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.