Ratings for Tuesday’s Democratic debate didn’t come close to the Republican debate numbers. But the 15.8 million people who watched the Democratic presidential debate on CNN was still the biggest TV audience ever for a Democratic debate.
The Nielsen company said Tuesday’s debate audience exceeded the 10.7 million people who watched Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama debate on ABC in April 2008.
Buoyed by the television-friendly candidacy of Donald Trump, the two Republican presidential debates were record-setters. The first debate, on Fox News Channel in August, was seen by 24 million viewers and the second, on CNN last month, had 23.1 million viewers.
CNN also showed the Democratic debate online, with usage peaking at 980,000 concurrent streams.
The point in the debate where Bernie Sanders said he’d had enough of talk about Clinton’s emails was the most-watched moment for DVR users who rewound to see it over, according to the digital video recorder maker TiVo.
Besides Trump, one clue to the lower ratings for Democrats may be the audience composition. The research firm Samba TV noted that 48 percent of the people who watched the Democratic debate said they’d seen at least one of the Republican candidates’ forums. Meanwhile, only 21 percent of the Republican debate audience tuned in to watch the Democrats, the company said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Watched both the parties’ debates. Honestly, the Republican one was merely entertaining for the fluffs the candidates made and the shots they took at one another.
The Democrats debate was civilised, lively, intelligent and wholly worth every minute of its airtime. It’s a welcome return to the oldtime format of debates of yesteryear.
The demoncrats are chronic and pathological liars; obullshit’s lap dogs and henchmen. Clueless, crooked and totally evil. They should all be drported along with the illegal wetbacks, muslimes, and all other radical troublemakers.
@Willynilly. Willi you are as obsolete as your name. I dont think as many people watched the Democrat debate as the media stated. Some people didnt even know it was on; some people responded “what debate”? and others just watched the MLB playoffs. The debate was a bore and I watched 15 minutes of it. Was a throw back to the 50’s in that it was “the same old, same old> Get a life Willinilly
I have not heard such a fabrication of truth that was spilled out by Willynilly. How can any rational person tell so many lies in such a short 4 sentences. Oh wait, I forgot, “If you are not a Democrat by age 20, you haven’t got a heart, but if your not a Republican by age 40, you haven’t got a brain!
Mrs. Clinton was impressive enough in the debate to reassure Democrats that she continues to be a formidable candidate. The really interesting thing is that Republican candidates like Trump and Cruz would have a Goldwater effect on the election. Voters would be put off and even frightened by their extremism and vote Democratic to keep sanity in the White House. Except for Sen. Rand Paul there is little impressive about the Republican candidates.
Sanity in the White House? If you think there is any sanity there now, You’ve been in a coma the past 6 years. Now you want to elect another corrupt politician and give her a pass on crimes that would have landed any of us in prison, because she is a woman? The ignorance of the general public is beyond astonishing.
Then vote for Trump!
Besides Rand Paul, all are impressive.
I had better things to do than watch the Democrat debate. None of these candidates are acceptable. They seek to take from the productive and give to the lazy. They seek to support the abortion industry which has slaughtered more humans than any other organization in world history. They embrace and condone every deviant lifestyle they can find. They oppose the Judeo-Christian value system as expressed in the Bible. A bum pulled from skid row would make as good of a president as any of the Democrat candidates.
A bum pulled from skid row would make a BETTER president than any of these people. How quickly people want to forgive Hillary of her MAJOR wrongdoings. Tired of hearing about her e-mails? When they stop finding ways she has hidden them, maybe will won’t hear so much anymore. And, why is she hiding them? Did it ever occur to the demoncrat libtards that she is guilty of something. Anyone else who had acted with such blatant disregard about an issue such as Benghazi (where she could have chosen to take action and save lives) should be in prison, forever.
Besides Rand Paul, all are impressive.
Amen Steph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Justin, so true! Thanks for an intelligent post.
I watched it to see if hillery would explode and because it was being tweeted and it was so freaking boring but proved the point to me that all the dems want to do is keep the downward free fall of America by following obamas failed policies and give free everything but tell me how will we pay for all the free stuff we are reaching 20 trillion in debt the middle class can not bear anymore supporting the world ,illegals and so called refugees but rumor had it they were told no fighting no bickering really a debate or a pat each other on the back contest and btw Bernie..WE the PEOPLE want to know about the emails we want justice better wake up people we are going to be Greece really soon and it will be much worse and take a look around isis is here they have training camps here in America just look around google it take off the blinders
This is true, Jo
It was a contest to see who could buy the most votes by offering the most freebies.
Only Dummycracts, fools, and freeloaders believe benefits are free.