Vice Presidential Debate Ratings: 69.9 Million Total, ABC, Fox News Win, MSNBC Tanks

Update: The final numbers are in: 69.9 million viewers watched the Vice Presidential debate, making it the most watched debate since 1992 and the most watched VP debate ever. From The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd:

Thursday's highly anticipated face-off between Alaska governor Sarah Palin and Delaware senator Joe Biden was the most-watched debate in 16 years

[Thursday] night's event was seen by 69.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

That's the most-viewed debate -- presidential or vp -- since the second round of Bill Clinton, Ross Perot and George Bush debating in 1992 (which also received 69.9 million).

Thursday's event was 33% higher than Friday's debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. It's 61% higher than the 2004 debate between Dick Cheney and John Edwards, and ranks 8% higher than the former most-watched vp debate record holder -- the 1984 match between George Bush and Geraldine Ferrarro.

Cable Ratings: Fox News had its highest rated telecast ever Thursday night, drawing 11.1 million viewers for the Vice Presidential debate (from 9:01 pm-10:33 pm Eastern time).

CNN came in second with 10.7 million viewers, while MSNBC came in a distant third with 4.4 million viewers.

The Vice presidential debate replaced George Bush's Presidential Address from March 19, 2003, which drew 9.7 million viewers, as the network's highest rated telecast in its 12-year history.

Fox News also saw its highest prime-time average ever: it averaged 9.2 million viewers from 8-11pm.

CNN won the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic, averaging 4.5 million to Fox's 3.8 million and MSNBC's 1.9 million viewers.

Network Ratings: On the networks, ABC took the top spot, averaging 13.1 million viewers for the VP debate. NBC came in second with 12.82 million, while CBS came in third with 11.1 million viewers.

ABC also won the post-debate analysis (10:37 pm-11:00 pm Eastern), drawing 9.8 million viewers to NBC's 9.6 million and CBS' 8.0 million.

Final Numbers (total viewers):
ABC: 13,130,000
NBC: 12,820,000
CBS: 11,100,000
Fox News: 11,098,000
CNN: 10,685,000
MSNBC: 4,412,000

Comments

[Joetheplumber]

Fox news is the only network who reported last night's debate a win for Senator John McCain! How did every other news channel see it differently? And they say Fox new is not bias...that is laughable.

[JohnTalbutt]

Sarah Palin shares fans with professional wrestling, the Jerry Springer show, tel evangelists, tawdry soap operas and means spirited bullies. MSNBC's low correlation with this demograhic put it at a disadvantage.

[mamacat]

Seven out of every eight viewers did not watch Faux News. Maybe there is hope for America!

[mantha]

Fox News fair and Balanced! Now I've heard everything. Fox leans well towards the right and the only commentators on that channel that I feel have any objectivity is Sheppard Smith and Chris Wallace. The rest including that wimp Alan Coombes are monolithic in their assessments. This is like saying keith Olberman is unbiased in his reporting of this year's presidential campaign but at least he doesn't pretend to be.

[mantha]

Come on people. You know the only reason most of you watched this debate was to see if Sarah would screw up and fall flat on her face which in a way she did because she wouldn't and probably couldn't answer questions posed to her. This was a farce.

[brocko]

MSNBC tanks all the time now because they are becoming what FOX news USED to be. Funny, but compared to MSNBC, FOX news really IS fair and balanced!

[Liszt]

The media is owned lock stock and barrel by white people.

[spartanmom]

rich corporate white people

[RobertHewson]

New McCain Satire: The Impulsively Unreflective Duo in... "McCain Goes Negative!"
Hilarious, brilliant:
http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/10/impulsively-unreflective-duo-inmccain.html

[siney]

i don't believe PBS and CSPAN participate in these ratings, so who knows what the real numbers are...all we know for sure is that the 11 million americans that watched FAUX News are dragging the rest of us down...

[tempting]

Check out http://www.linktv.org/

If we think G W Bush is bad. JM/ SP are worse!

[ZimboChick]

I do not understand why MSNBC keeps tanking! Everyone I know watches it and why ARE people not watching MSNBC.....you are missing out!

[DamageControl]

morning joe, david gregory and Brokaw. nuff said

[care4mypeeps]

Msnbc Has some moderators that is draging the ratins down.
Pat Buchannon and Joe Scarboro to name a few.

As out there as Chris Matthews, Keith Olberman and Rachell Maddow are to name a few, they still stick to the facts and have reality and honesty as their footing.

But when you hear not only partisan fear mongering that is designed to be divisive, that is when the channel is being switched.

If MSNBC has no intention on getting rid of Pat Buchannon Joe Scarboro and others, at least call them on ther lies and distortions.
We do have a choice as to where we view our news, MSNBC has got to earn us as viewers.

I must admit that I am a fan of MSNBC and I'm not going anywhere.

[patianneb]

Tank or not, I went to Dem HQ to watch the debate and cannot tell you which channel we watched it on, but I can tell you that the INSTANT it was over we switched to MSNBC for commentary.

[nellie]

That means 69.9 people saw what an informed and caring statesman we have in Joe Biden. And what a lightweight we have in Sarah Palin.

[patmancando]

That means that almost 70 million saw the debates because there is that much interest in the race; and after the Couric interview, I would guess many of them tuned in to either see SP fall on her arse or do well. She did well, and if Biden won the debate, it was to be expected with over 30 years in the senate, but they also saw SP perform well. There is great interest in this race, and I expect the polls to stay close and only the GE will tell us who the winner is.

[siney]

biden debated. palin sold cars.

[Steelrod]

thats what msnbc gets for giving KO and Matthews the boot. Gregory is terrible. Plus MSNBC is not available on most cable or dish basic or mid range packages.

[patmancando]

I used to watch MSNBC for election returns until they got KO and CM constantly carrying water for Mr.0. Only passionate 0-man supporters really love that biased approach. When you know you are going to get only one side of the news/issue, then many will turn that station (MSNBC) out. I suspect MSNBC's 4,412,000 viewers are the passionate 0bama supporters who spend their time on HP bashing the opponent. MSNBC bombed out in this coveted audience race, as the title of this piece says: MSNBC Tanks! I wonder if NBC had Tom Brokaw, who was the butt of the 0-supporters bashing last week, but if he was...it goes to show he isn't "some washed out over the hill Repug."

BTW, I chose C-Span, which makes me wonder.......since they weren't included in the ratings, just how many more people watched. I would guess there was such a big audience because there a many, many undecided voters out there.

[ZimboChick]

oh golly gees u betcha

[DamageControl]

bs you watch fox don't lie

[DianneU]

I couldn't agree more, and even wrote to MSNBC and told them so. David Gregory is such a snooze-fest I can't stand it. Keith and Chris are ALIVE, FUN, and INFORMED!! What's not to like? Even if you don't agree with them politically, they are great to watch to stay informed of the issues. I happen to love having somebody like them AGREE with me every night. I'm constantly saying (to the TV) "YES! Thanks, Keith" every single night.
I hope the big nuts at MSNBC will see this and think twice about their future coverage. They probably won't, but then....they don't like seeing FOX beat them at anything!

[worriedsenior]

I too enjoy MSNBC amd watch it all the time and believe they now have excellent commentators since Rachel Maddow joined up with her show. I think we are missing the fact that with NBC's total along with MSNBC, NBC affiliate that NBC got the most viewers. A lot of people do not have cable and therefore watched NBC. I never watch Fox news unless I want to know what their next smear against Democrats and especially Obama is going to be. Talk about lies, they take the prize in this regard and I actually got terribly bored when I used to watch Fox. Now their cable news is nothing but trash while MSNBC is exciting and enjoyable to watch. They have Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan supporting the Republicans and have many of both parties as guests, do not see that happening on Fox. Hennity especially is constantly interrupting guest on Fox.

I hope MSNBC continues as it has good and sane coverage on a variety of topics, not slander and foolishness that seems to be the Fox model..

[DefeatedAnOfficer]

If the snap polls are in any way close to reality, and those percentages map onto the millions of people who watched the VP debates... I am so happy. Joe Biden's awesomeness has gone unnoticed for far too long and I hope more people are aware of it now.

[chris48]

I love MSNBC!!! Up to about four months ago I never watched their programs, but now I'm addicted to Chris, Kieth and Rachel. They are the most intelligent, thought provoking and yes, entertaining commentators on TV. I used to watch CNN, but Wolf is so boring and droll I can't focus on what he is saying. I will say, however, that CNN should give Cafferty his own show.