/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f92ed0da338b625d1007b1b/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=5359&cropY1=18&cropY2=3032&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1 "Final Debate Ratings Slide 14% From Last Month And Below Every 2016 Presidential Debate")
Topline
Thursday night’s debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden drew almost 63 million viewers, a nearly 14% drop from the two candidates’ first faceoff last month and a lower figure than any of 2016’s three presidential debates, according to ratings from Nielsen released Friday.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden answers a question as President … [+]
Getty Images
Key Facts
About 62.97 million people tuned into the final debate on broadcast networks, cable channels and most streaming services, compared to 73.13 million total viewers for the first debate and 57.92 million viewers for the vice presidential matchup.
Thursday’s event also drew fewer viewers than any of the three record-breaking faceoffs between Trump and Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in 2016, falling short of the final 2016 debate by about 12%.
Fox News’ coverage came in first place with 14.7 million viewers, followed by ABC, NBC, CNN, MSNBC and finally CBS.
Almost 60% of the event’s audience was over the age of 55, and just 9.5% of viewers were between the ages of 18 and 34.
Fox’s broadcast network did not carry the debate, sticking instead with Thursday Night Football, which earned around 7 million viewers according to data obtained by Deadline.
Key Background
The first debate of 2020 was chaotic and widely panned, largely due to Trump’s constant interruptions and a lack of substantive discussion. By comparison, Thursday’s faceoff was a far more sedate affair, partly because both candidates’ microphones were muted during their opponent’s allotted speaking times to prevent any interruptions.
Tangent
A slim majority of viewers believe Biden won the debate, according to several polls conducted afterwards. Still, Trump touted his performance in the hours following the debate, eagerly retweeting several unscientific — and often wildly inaccurate — online surveys that showed him winning by 90-point margins.
Big Number
52.7 million. That’s the total number of voters who have already cast their ballots as of Friday, according to the U.S. Elections Project. Election Day is still 11 days away, but as a record number of Americans choose to vote early, the final debate’s impact on voting may be lighter than in prior elections.
Further Reading
At 63 Million Viewers, Final Debate Is Trump’s Least Watched (New York Times)
/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f92ed0da338b625d1007b1b/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=5359&cropY1=18&cropY2=3032&w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1&description=Final+Debate+Ratings+Slide+14%25+From+Last+Month+And+Below+Every+2016+Presidential+Debate){kind=link}