Republican Debate Draws 24 Million Viewers [View all]

[Purveyor]

Source: New York Times

By JOHN KOBLINAUG. 7, 2015

Fox News’s telecast of Thursday night’s Republican debate drew 23.9 million viewers, making it the highest-rated program ever for Fox News and among the most-viewed events in cable TV history.

The debate smashed previous records for primary debates and is the ninth-most-viewed cable program ever, according to Nielsen. The top eight were college football games broadcast on ESPN.

The raucous debate featured 10 presidential candidates, with Donald J. Trump, the Republican candidate leading in the polls, drawing the most airtime and providing some of the night’s most memorable moments. The Fox News moderators, Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier, were pointed in their questions and drew praise for the performance, helping to lead the way for two hours of spirited television.

Thursday’s debate significantly beat the viewership of the first Republican debate in 2011, which drew 3.2 million viewers.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/business/media/republican-debate-draws-24-million-viewers.html?_r=0