More than 63 million people watched Thursday night’s debate between President Trump and Joe Biden, according to Nielsen TV ratings.
For comparison’s sake, 73 million people watched the first Trump-Biden debate.
Frequently the first debate is the most-watched of the election cycle, so this year’s results followed a familiar pattern. The high ratings for both debates, despite a fragmented media landscape and a polarized electorate, are a testament to excitement about the election.
The figures in 2016 were even higher: The third and final debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton averaged 71.6 million viewers.
The final debate in 2012, on the other hand, averaged 59.2 million viewers.
The Nielsen ratings only include Americans who watched on television sets. An unknown number of people live-streamed the debate on various devices, listened on the radio, or watched in other ways.
