Nielsen Media Research data shows that the vice presidential debate on Tuesday, October 1, attracted approximately 43.15 million viewers across 15 television networks.
The first and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 U.S. election took place at the CBS News broadcast center in New York City. Democratic vice presidential candidate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Republican vice presidential candidate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, participated in the debate.
During the debate, the two vice presidential candidates engaged in discussions on immigration, climate change, abortion, and the January 6, 2021 Capitol Hill incident. Despite fundamental differences in opinions, both candidates maintained a courteous demeanor throughout the evening. While disagreement persisted, there were moments of mutual agreement and nodding in acknowledgment of each other’s responses.
Vance’s outstanding performance in the debate earned rare praise from liberal media outlets. In a post-debate CNN poll, Vance emerged as the slight winner with a 2% lead.
According to a CBS poll conducted after the debate, 42% of viewers believed Vance won the debate, while 41% thought Walz emerged as the victor, and an additional 17% perceived it as a tie. For most viewers, the remarks of both candidates were deemed “reasonable” rather than “extreme.”
The report suggests that the overall image of both candidates improved in the eyes of the electorate. More viewers held a negative view of Vance before the debate, but post-debate, voters with a favorable opinion of Vance outnumbered those with a negative perception. This CBS survey was based on the opinions of 1,630 potential voters, who slightly lean towards the Democratic Party compared to the national electorate.
According to Bloomberg News, CBS led in viewership with 9.1 million viewers. Other networks, including Fox News, also broadcast the debate, with Fox News leading in cable television viewership with nearly 7.7 million viewers.
However, the viewership for this vice presidential debate was lower than the previous presidential election.
On September 10, the debate between Democratic presidential candidate and vice president, He Jinli, and Republican presidential candidate and former president, Trump (Trump), attracted 67.1 million American television viewers. In 2020, the debate between He Jinli and Pence also had nearly 58 million viewers.