In addition to Fox News Channel, other big winners at last night’s debate included the brands who bought ad time with Fox News for the limited debate commercial breaks.
Advertisers included FNC’s sister company 20th Century Fox for a new Tom Hanks film due out this fall, as well as Paramount Pictures, Verizon, Men’s Wearhouse and Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
“We were able to bring in a more diverse set of advertisers for the first debate,” Frank Sorace, Fox News vp of Sales Planning and Operations tells TVNewser. “All our clients are thrilled to have been a part of the most watched cable news program in history.”
The 2-hour debate drew 24 million people, the most-watched non-sports program ever on cable. As we revealed in the Scoreboard, nearly 11 million tuned in for post-debate analysis anchored by Megyn Kelly, another record for Fox News. For comparison, on election night 2008, Fox News averaged 9 million viewers.