Viewership for the fourth Republican debate was down from the previous event, which drew more than 4 million viewers for Nexstar’s NewsNation and its simulcast on The CW.
But it was a record night for NewsNation, which drew 1.6 million viewers for its debate coverage, the largest audience in its history, according to early national figures from Nielsen Rapid. Another 2.5 million watched the simulcast on The CW, making it the most-watched show since 2018. In the 25-54 demo, NewsNation drew more than 350,000 viewers and The CW drew nearly 500,000.
However, the debate audience was smaller than at the last event in November, continuing a trend since the first GOP meeting. About 7.51 million people watched the Nov. 8 debate on NBC News and its streaming and digital platforms. An average of 6.86 million viewers watched this debate on NBC alone.
The first Republican debate in August, hosted by Fox News, drew 12.8 million viewers.
Sean Hannity’s “Town Hall with Donald Trump Tuesday,” a front desk show, drew 3.2 million viewers. The Hannity debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom drew 4.75 million viewers last week, and 5.46 million when a replay was added on the West Coast.
DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy attended the debate from Tucaloosa, AL. The debate was moderated by Elizabeth Vargas, Megyn Kelly and Eliana Johnson.
NewsNation, formerly WGN America, kicked off 2021 with a primetime newscast that first aired last year.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
