For the Pence-Harris match, Fox News Channel led all networks, with 11.9 million viewers
Los Angeles:
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s debate with Democrat Kamala Harris drew 57.9 million viewers, the second-largest audience ever for a run-off between vice-presidential candidates, Nielsen data released Thursday.
Viewers for Wednesday night’s showdown in Salt Lake City included people watching on 18 networks. The tally is 56% higher than four years ago, when 37 million people tipped in to watch Pence debate Democrat Tim Kaine.
During the 90-minute political event, Pence and Harris clashed over the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Vice-presidential debates generally attract a smaller audience than presidential clashes. President Donald Trump’s debate on September 29 with Democratic challenger Joe Biden drew 73 million viewers, making it the second-biggest event on American television this year, after the Super Bowl.
The TV viewing record for a Vice Presidential Debate was set in 2008, when Biden debated Republican Sarah Palin. This program attracted 69.9 million viewers.
For the Pence-Harris game, Fox News Channel led all networks, with 11.9 million viewers.
The Nielsen figures included people watching at home and in places such as bars and restaurants. It also included part of the digital audience via televisions connected to the Internet.
The numbers do not, however, reflect the full extent of online viewing, which has grown in popularity as the traditional television audience shrinks. The debate was broadcast live on Twitter, YouTube, network websites and other digital platforms.
(This story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
