The GOP debate which first aired live on CNBC and was re-broadcast on MSNBC yesterday, were the second and third lowest rated debates this election season. This is a list of the debates, ranked in order by total viewers, as rated by Nielsen Media Research (live only data).
| Debate | Network | Total Viewers | 25-54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 GOP | FNC | 3,141,000 | 854,000 |
| Aug. 19 Dems | ABC | 2,799,000 | 1,046,000 |
| June 3 Dems | CNN | 2,714,000 | 1,050,000 |
| July 23 Dems | CNN | 2,552,000 | 831,000 |
| May 15 GOP | FNC | 2,445,000 | 664,000 |
| Sept. 9 Dems | Univision | 2,194,000 | 1,166,000 |
| April 26 Dems | MSNBC | 2,164,000 | 736,000 |
| Aug. 5 GOP | ABC | 2,106,000 | 709,000 |
| June 5 GOP | CNN | 1,974,000 | 689,000 |
| May 3 GOP | MSNBC | 1,705,000 | 523,000 |
| Sept. 26 Dems | MSNBC | 1,449,000 | 539,000 |
| Oct. 9 GOP | MSNBC | 1,081,000 | 342,000 |
| Oct. 9 GOP | CNBC | 1,014,000 | 223,000 |
| Aug. 7 Dems | MSNBC | 893,000 | 297,000 |
>Update: An NBC insider tells TVNewser Nielsen is allowing the network to combine the totals of the two airings which would make 2,095,000 total viewers and 565,000 in the A25-54 demo (live only data).
>More from an emailer: “If the debate had been live at 9 on MSNBC, don’t you think some of the 1 million + viewers of the 4PM show would have watched it at 9? Also, weren’t those who would have watched at 9 spoiled by the fact that highlights were being discussed all over the news after the 4:00 show?”