According to preliminary estimates from Nielsen, the leading television rating research company in the United States, over 67 million people tuned in to watch the first debate between Harris and Trump on Tuesday evening, September 10th.
This viewership number surpassed the first debate between Trump and Biden by 15 million viewers, but fell short compared to the first debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016. The intense showdown between Trump and Clinton set a record high viewership in American history, attracting a whopping 84 million viewers.
The debate held in Philadelphia saw ABC leading in ratings with 18 million viewers, over 6 million of whom were in the coveted 25-54 age demographic, making them a prime audience for advertisers. NBC followed in second place with 9.7 million viewers.
In the realm of cable news channels, Fox News took the top spot with 8.6 million viewers, more than double the viewership of CNN.
Nielsen’s statistics do not include viewers who watched the debate online via platforms like YouTube, Roku, or other connected TV devices, as well as those who viewed clips of the debate on social media. Therefore, experts estimate that the actual total viewership may exceed Nielsen’s figures.
Despite some media analysis suggesting that Harris outperformed Trump on Tuesday, her support levels did not see a significant boost, maintaining a tight and fiercely contested race between the two. The latest poll from the New York Post shows Harris leading with 50% support against Trump’s 47%. CNN’s average of 6 national polls indicates Harris at 49% support and Trump at 48%.
The New York Post cited a Leger poll revealing that nearly half of respondents believed Harris performed better in the debate, while 29% thought Trump emerged victorious.
It is worth noting that about 60% of the respondents viewed Tuesday’s debate as “good,” a notable increase compared to the 42% who rated Biden and Trump’s first debate at the end of June positively.
Harris’s campaign team has expressed her willingness to participate in a second debate, while Trump stated on Tuesday that he has not yet decided whether he will debate her again.