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

[fluentinsilence]

So many tuned in because they tuned it was going to be one of the greatest entertainment shows this year.

[athenasword]

It was like NASCAR and people waiting to see a crash.....

[ricitizen]

Remember that keynote speech in 2004. We have come full circle. See this other speech by a union man from West Virginia. See why he says it's time to live up to the promise of our country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QIGJTHdH50

Obama/Biden 08

[athenasword]

THIS is amazing and stunning and as good as it gets!!!! I am crying to hear this said, in public, in a forum like this. I AM proud. So proud. And so moved. This is why he will win!

Thank you so much for this link!

[athenasword]

p.s. this must go viral!

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

Worth waiting for: (tonite) Bill Moyers on Friday nite, with his guests, and a review and analysis of the Palin-Biden debate.

[whizkid]

The Palin woman is a super box office smash.
You love her. You hate her.
You can't get enough of her.

[nomoreofthesame]

Can't wait to get rid of her. Only 30 more days before she is history.

[CaptainVideo]

Can't wait to vote against her.

[athenasword]

Can't get enough of seeing her lose!

[totalliberal]

Sarah Palin is the governor of a state with 2000 people less than Memphis Tennessee. Let's get real folks. All she has to do is distribute oil revenues.

[totalliberal]

Fox is a kind of dip-stick on how many dumb people there are in America. Luckily there seems to be only %20 registered mor*ns still available to the Republican party.

[dadw5boys]

FOX PAYS AIRPORTS TO TURN THEIR T.V.'S TO FOX AND LOCK THEM THERE. 24/7

FOX PAYS SEVERAL PUBLIC OPERATIONS TO KEEP T.V'S TURNED TO FOX. 24/7

[LJMinOKC]

With each nasty smear and untruth this babe spits out, the less attractive she appears. Please Alaska, she is all yours, you lucky slobs! When McCain chose this governor he ensured his defeat ... so I am really happy that he did. But, it sure indicates that McCain has big problems ... mentally speaking.

[tomjones44]

how on earth do they know these things? how do they know the demographics???? can they see me through my TV? is this 1984???????

[JRambo]

Statistics. Random sampling. When done right, it is actually very accurate. With that said, if done wrong, we are mislead. Think polls...

[tomjones44]

first, FOX came in T3! I always thought they had a bigger market share than that. Second, what's wrong with MSNBC?

[TN]

I watched it on MSNBC, don't want to see a bunch of people who can't make up their minds push some emotional button to track their feelings, yuk.

[JRambo]

Well, nothing is wrong with MSNBC. Add NBC + MSNBC. Personally, we watched on PBS and flipped to FOX to see the Republican spin.

Recall how FOX News was started. Murdock paid cable providers to offer his channel. FOX News is a propaganda channel. MSNBC is trying to be the counter propaganda channel for the left. Honestly, they are doing a good job. Give them a few years, this stuff doesn't happen overnight. The American demographic is changing and we are becoming a more progressive country. We tend to swing back and forth between conservatism and liberalism, but we never become too extreme. That is likely a key reason why our democracy has been a success.

[janice1227]

The only way I can watch any of this is by tuning in to MSNBC. It worries me that Fox grabbed a big share, since the home of Bill O'Reilly is no place for young minds to wander.

[Westwood]

When are we going to have a real debate in this country?

I want to see just 2 candidates sitting across a table with a moderator (simply moderating) discuss various issues for two hours.

Enough with this silly format with no direct interaction, no follow-up questions and lets questions go unanswered. I think a new debate format will change the political atmosphere in this country. If you think 70 million people tuning in was incredible (which is really only 1 out of 4 Americans), a no holds barred format would be more riveting and bring in even more people. There would be less gimmicky politicking and more straight talk. And, of course, the most important thing --- no "Sarah Palins".

[yorkie]

BOYCOTT FAKE NEWS!!!!! AND RT WING RADIO AND SPONSORS ,,,,,,,,,,THE VEEP NON DEBATE WAS POORLY RUN,,,ESP FACT NO REAL FOLLOW UPS!!!!!! BROKENCRAW IS NOT UP TO IT,,,HE SHOULD BE OFF AIR NOW,,,,,, PALE FACE IS PHONY FROM GET GO,....WHA­T A FRUAD WITH HER SEXIST BLOWING KISS AS START AND PHONY WINKING!!!!!!!!!!! UGHHGHGHG!!!! IM TIRED OF THESE VEEP DEBATES ALL AROUND,,,,,

[JRambo]

Pissed off are we? :-)

[judesedit]

And C-Span?
Joe Biden won the debate. He is intelligent, experienced, caring, honest, and reserved. Yet has a good sense of humor. And in view of the media and campaign complaints about sexism (wah, wah, wah), he handled her with kid gloves. Palin spewed talking points and did not really answer the questions. Granted, she certainly did not do as poorly as in the other interviews, but went on and on stating misinformation. Her drive for power scares me and the fact that she wants to increase the powers of the vice-presidency, more still. I can see the McCain / Palin partnership dictatorship now. A one word description for both is: DECEITFUL. Medicare and health care, social security, educational programs, etc, would all be at the mercy of the performance of the stock market. Thank God, when Bush formerly wanted to privatize social security it was denied. Can you imagine where our elderly would be right now? McCain wants to cut benefits in half, too. While he sits back and collects his social security, his $50,000. from the VA, while he opposes increased benefits for other veterans, while being married to a multi-billionaire, who's had to bail him out of huge gambling debts in the past. I don't want him gambling with my future, thank you. Forget the environment. They could care less. And, I do NOT want to imagine McCain's or Palin's itchy little trigger fingers near any of those red buttons. God save us all.

[JRambo]

You are right. At least in Minnesota, the people I talked to saw through Palin's shallowness and non-answers. This is not scientific, but someone who is in corporate America and who has been a consistent Republican said that he and his wife were laughing at Palin. He also said that he is proof that someone can change.

If people vote, I don't think this is a contest. Actually, we may see Reagan proportions. But people need to vote.

[democratsneedtowin]

It's the itchy trigger finger that bothers me most. Picture

[ohiomark]

At least MSLSD is consistant. Always being ultra liberal and always being last in the ratings.

[micmac]

Sarah owned. 70 million people tuned in to watch her take plugs to the woodshed. HAHAHA!