24 million watched US presidential debate on Fox News
WASHINGTON: A staggering 24 million viewers tuned in to Fox News to watch the first major Republican US presidential debate, the highestrated non-sports telecast in cable television history, Nielsen figures released Friday showed.
The viewership of the primetime 9pm to 11pm debate, in which frontrunner Donald Trump squared off against nine of his top Republican challengers, including Carly Fiorina, for the nomination, is by far the highest rating of any presidential primary debate.
“Fox had 24 million viewers last night. That is an absolutely monster number,” tweeted Fox media commentator Howard Kurtz.
Ratings monitor Nielsen Media Research said that among the telecast’s viewers, 7.9 million were in the 25-54 age range, the key advertising demographic..
Trump, who afterwards accused Fox moderators of asking “unfair” questions of him during the debate, was clearly a main factor – and in a brutal tweet Friday he let the broadcaster know it.
“@FoxNews you should be ashamed of yourself. I got you the highest debate ratings in your history & you say nothing but bad,” Trump tweeted.
In an interview with CNN late Friday, Trump credited himself for the record ratings.
“If I wasn’t in the event, they probably would have done two million, three million people max. So, I’m very happy about it. Most people say that I won the debate and I won it easily,” he said.
Fiorina, the only woman in the field of 17 Republican candidates, was almost universally viewed as the winner of the early debate, breathing new life into her campaign in the process.
The debate viewing results are not just good news for Fox.
The Republicans will host at least eight more debates as the party whittles down its broad field and determines its flagbearer to go up against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The next Republican debate is scheduled for Sept 16 in California and will be broadcast on CNN. – AFP