If it’s the star of a TV show that makes people watch, that star will always have some leverage over the producer or network.
That’s what we’re seeing play out among the GOP candidates. With the blockbuster ratings so far, the campaigns are beginning to make demands for upcoming primary contests. (It also has a lot to do with their perception that the debates haven’t been fair. But it starts with the viewership. If the debates had bombed in the ratings, do you think the campaigns would have as much leverage?)
We’ve compiled the viewership for RNC- and DNC-sanctioned debates this cycle, and compared them to the 2008 cycle, the last time there was an open primary for both Democrats and Republicans.
The most-watched debate of 2007-2008 was a Democratic face-off on April 16, 2008. It was watched by 10.7 million viewers. That’s 3 million fewer viewers than tuned in to the least-watched debate of this cycle.
Here’s the debate ranker, so far, for 2015-2016:
| Debate | Network | Total Viewers | A25-54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 6 | GOP | Fox News | 24,000,000 | 7,900,000 |
| Sept. 16 | GOP | CNN | 22,940,000 | 6,900,000 |
| Oct. 13 | Dem | CNN | 15,791,000 | 4,998,000 |
| Oct. 28 | GOP | CNBC | 14,000,000 | 3,900,000 |
| Nov. 10 | GOP | FBN | ||
| Nov. 14 | Dem | CBS | ||
| Dec. 15 | GOP | CNN | ||
| Dec. 19 | Dem | ABC | ||
| Jan. TBD | GOP | Fox News | ||
| Jan. 17 | Dem | NBC | ||
| Feb. 6 | GOP | ABC | ||
| Feb. 11 | Dem | PBS | ||
| Feb. 13 | GOP | CBS | ||
| Feb. 26 | GOP | NBC* |
*The RNC has suspended NBC News from hosting this debate.
And here’s a look at the full slate of debates in 2007-2008:
| Debate | Network | Total Viewers | A25-54 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr. 16 Dem | ABC | 10,693,000 | 4,357,000 |
| Jan. 5 Dem | ABC | 9,360,000 | 2,900,000 |
| Jan. 31 Dem | CNN | 8,324,000 | 3,257,000 |
| Feb. 26 Dem | MSNBC | 7,777,000 | 3,236,000 |
| Feb. 21 Dem | CNN | 7,576,000 | 2,986,000 |
| Jan. 5 GOP | ABC | 7,350,000 | 1,800,,000 |
| Jan. 21 Dem | CNN | 4,910,000 | 1,997,000 |
| Nov. 28 GOP | CNN | 4,486,000 | 1,540,000 |
| Nov. 15 Dem | CNN | 4,036,000 | 1,123,000 |
| Jan. 30 GOP | CNN | 4,018,000 | 1,445,000 |
| Jan. 10 GOP | FNC | 3,746,000 | 1,084,000 |
| Sept. 5 GOP | FNC | 3,207,000 | 909,000 |
| Aug. 19 Dem | ABC | 2,799,000 | 1,046,000 |
| June 3 Dem | CNN | 2,783,000 | 1,088,000 |
| Jan. 24 GOP | MSNBC | 2,636,000 | 876,000 |
| July 23 Dem | CNN | 2,622,000 | 890,000 |
| Jan. 6 GOP | FNC | 2,576,000 | 794,000 |
| May 15 GOP | FNC | 2,551,000 | 720,000 |
| Jan. 15 Dem | MSNBC | 2,498,000 | 908,000 |
| Oct. 30 Dem | MSNBC | 2,465,000 | 760,000 |
| Oct. 21 GOP | FNC | 2,462,000 | 773,000 |
| April 26 Dem | MSNBC | 2,261,000 | 806,000 |
| Sept. 9 Dem | Univision | 2,194,000 | 1,166,000 |
| Aug. 5 GOP | ABC | 2,106,000 | 709,000 |
| June 5 GOP | CNN | 2,055,000 | 747,000 |
| Dec. 9 GOP | Univision | 1,822,000 | 925,000 |
| May 3 GOP | MSNBC | 1,762,000 | 561,000 |
| Sept. 26 Dem | MSNBC | 1,472,000 | 559,000 |
| Oct. 9 GOP* | MSNBC | 1,121,000 | 373,000 |
| Oct. 9 GOP* | CNBC | 1,020,000 | 229,000 |
| Aug. 7 Dem | MSNBC | 960,000 | 340,000 |
*Nielsen allows NBC to combine the totals of these two airings (same debate) which would make 2,141,000 total viewers and 602,000 in the A25-54 demo.