Fox News Sees Double-Digit Percentage Viewing Gains For Latest GOP Debate

The latest Republican Presidential debate on Fox News grew by double-digit percentages versus the most recent candidate talkfest in February -- making it the fourth-highest of 11 GOP debates to date.

Fox News pulled a Nielsen 16.9 million average viewers and 5.5 million key 25-54 viewers -- also the fourth best of all GOP debates.

The previous GOP debate on February 25 on CNN/Telemundo earned 14.5 million viewers.

The Fox News debate bested all broadcast and cable programming on Thursday night: CBS earned 10 million viewers for a repeat episode of “Big Bang Theory” and Fox’s “American Idol” took in 8.7 million viewers. CBS’s two other comedies were next: “Life in Pieces” scored 8.4 million and “Mom” had 8.0 million.

advertisement

advertisement

The first GOP debate back in August, also on Fox News, earned 24 million viewers and 7.9 million 25-54 viewers -- still the highest marks for all presidential debates, Republican or Democrat, for the 2016 race. CNN, in the second GOP debate, scored the second best results: 22.9 million and 6.9 million 25-54 viewers.

The 11 GOP debates have an average 15.8 million viewers, with three debates airing on Fox News; three on CNN; two on Fox Business News; one on CBS; one on ABC; one on CNBC; and one on Telemundo (shared with CNN in February).

The three cable TV news networks for GOP debate coverage -- Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC -- totaled $6.7 million in national TV advertising for early fringe, prime time, and late-fringe dayparts, according to iSpot.tv.

Next story loading loading..