ABC US presidential debate attracted 57.5 million TV viewers - preliminary Nielsen data

9:00 am on 12 September 2024

By Helen Coster, Reuters

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on September 10, 2024 shows former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (L) and US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris participating in a presidential debate at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024.

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks during a presidential debate with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 10, 2024. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)

Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Photo: AFP / SAUL LOEB

The US presidential debate between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump attracted 57.5 million television viewers across seven TV networks, according to preliminary Nielsen data on Wednesday.

Tuesday night's event was the first time the candidates in the 5 November presidential election had met face to face.

The viewing figure tops the roughly 51 million people who watched Trump debate then-candidate President Joe Biden in June.

It does not capture the full extent of online viewing, which has grown in popularity as traditional TV audiences decline.

Nor does it reflect viewers who watched the debate in bars and restaurants.

Final audience data that includes those viewers will be available later on Wednesday (local time).

The record TV audience for a presidential debate occurred in 2016, when 84 million people tuned in to watch Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton debate Trump.

- Reuters