Commentary

'Bloviator-In-Chief' Updated

As promised, I'm updating Wednesday's post with Nielsen's just-released final estimates for Trump's State of the Union address. According to Nielsen, the audience declined 11% from Trump's joint session of Congress address last year.

This is an update from the earlier analysis, which used AdImpact's estimate that 39.8 million people viewed Trump's address this week.

AdImpact's data was based on TV device data. Nielsen's final estimates are based on its Big Data + Panel data, which more or less still is the ad industry's de facto currency.

Based on the new viewing data estimates, I'm also updating my viewers-per minute analysis, which declined 56% from his first address in 2017 to this week's (see below).

Interestingly, that correlates almost exactly with the 56% increase in the duration of Trump's addresses over time.

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My recommendation remains the same: when it comes to Trump's bloviating addresses, less may indeed be more.

For Nielsen's historical estimates going back to Bill Clinton's 1993 address, see below:

Historical Viewership: State of the Union Addresses

Date

Combined No. of Viewers

Combined HHLD Rating

Included Networks

President

2/24/2026

32,644,000

18.1

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, EstrellaTV, Telemundo, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FNC, MSNow, Newsmax, NewsNation

Trump

3/4/2025*

36,630,000

20.0

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Merit Street, TEL, UNI, PBS, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC, MSNBC, NewsMax, NewsNation

Trump

3/7/2024

32,232,000

18.5

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, PBS, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC, MSNBC, NewsMax, NewsNation, 

Biden

2/7/2023

27,312,000

16.1

ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TEL, UNI, NBCLX, PBS,  CNBC, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC, MSNBC, NewsMax, NewsNation

Biden

3/1/2022

38,197,000

22.4

ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TEL, UNI, NBCLX, PBS, Black News Channel, CNBC, CNN, CNNe, FOXNC, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation

Biden

4/28/2021*

26,936,000

16.5

ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TEL, UNI, PBS, CNBC, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation and Newsy

Biden

2/4/2020

37,173,000

22.7

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC and MSNBC

Trump

2/5/2019

46,789,000

28.0

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC and MSNBC

Trump

1/30/2018

45,551,000

26.9

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Estrella, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, FBN, FOX News, MSNBC and PBS

Trump

2/28/2017*

47,741,000

28.7

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UNI, PBS, CNN, FBN Net, FOXNC, MSNBC, and NBC Universo

Trump

1/12/2016

31,334,349

19.6

ABC, Al Jazeera America, Azteca, CBS, CNN, FOX, FBN, FOXNC, Galavision, MSNBC, NBC, NBC Universo, Univision^

Obama

1/20/2015

31,710,349

19.9

ABC, Al Jazeera America, Azteca, CBS, CNN, FOX, FBN, FOXNC, Galavision, MSNBC, MundoFOX, NBC, Univision^

Obama

1/18/2014

33,299,172

20.7

CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Azteca, FBN, FOXNC, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera America, Galavision, Mun2, UNI^

Obama

2/12/2013

33,497,607

21.8

FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Azteca, UNI, MFX, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, MSNBC, Current, Centric, GALA

Obama

1/24/2012

37,752,613

24.0

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, TF, UNI, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, GALA, MSNBC and MUN2

Obama

1/25/2011

42,789,947

26.6

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, Centric, CNBC, FOXNC, and MSNBC

Obama

1/27/2010

48,009,595

29.8

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, BET, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC

Obama

2/24/2009*

52,373,000

32.5

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION

Obama

1/28/2008

37,515,000

24.7

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO^, UNIVISION

G.W Bush

1/23/2007

45,486,000

29.6

ABC, CBS, FOX**, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO**, UNIVISION **

G.W. Bush

1/31/2006

43,179,000

35.3

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, AZTECA AMERICA, TELEFUTURA, TELEMUNDO

G.W. Bush

2/2/2005

39,432,000

31.2

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEFUTURA, TELEMUNDO

G.W. Bush

1/20/2004

43,411,000

28.0

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC

G.W. Bush

1/28/2003

62,061,000

38.8

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC

G.W. Bush

1/29/2002

51,773,000

33.6

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC

G.W. Bush

2/27/2001*

39,793,000

27.6

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC

G.W. Bush

1/27/2000

31,478,000

22.4

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC

Clinton

1/19/1999

43,500,000

31.0

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC

Clinton

1/27/1998

53,077,000

37.2

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC

Clinton

2/4/1997

41,100,000

28.4

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN

Clinton

1/23/1996

40,900,000

29.6

ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN

Clinton

1/24/1995

42,200,000

29.5

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN

Clinton

1/25/1994

45,800,000

32.9

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN

Clinton

2/17/1993*

66,900,000

44.3

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN

Clinton

Source: Nielsen

Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel methodology was implemented in September 2025. All prior reporting was based on Nielsen’s Panel-Only measurement.


Time-shifted viewing (Live+Same-Day, 3am-3am) is included in audience estimates in this table for years 2006 and later. Estimates prior to 2006 include live viewing only. 


* Single asterisks denote addresses that were officially "Addresses to Joint Sessions of Congress." 


^ Denotes tape-delayed coverage by a particular network. 


** 1/23/07: coverage of asterisked (**) networks went beyond a common end time. Measurement of these networks included SOTU address and commentary. Does not include Democratic Response.

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