According to Nielsen Fast National data, CNN’s first Republican debate from 8-10pmET last night drew 3.162 million total viewers and 918K A25-54 viewers. CNN was first in both Total Viewers and younger viewers topping Fox News (1.959M / 473K) and MSNBC (814K / 205K).
CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 at 10pmET, with Cooper anchoring from the debate site in New Hampshire, came in first with 1.895M total viewers and 627K A25-54 viewers; ahead of FNC’s “On the Record” (1.546M / 416K) and MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” (963K / 281K).
The first debate of this cycle, on Fox News Channel, Thursday May 5, still leads the way in total viewers, but CNN’s debate last night came out ahead in younger viewers (918K vs. 854K).
Last night’s GOP field beat out CNN’s first primary debate of the 2008 cycle. That was on June 5, 2007, when 2.05M watched from 7-9pmET.