As a seasoned gamer who’s seen more than a few late-night marathons and election nights, I can’t help but feel a tinge of nostalgia as I witness the dwindling numbers on our television screens during these political events. The days when 50 million people would gather around their sets to watch the returns are now a distant memory, much like my high score on Pac-Man back in ’84.
According to initial reports from Nielsen, there was a significant decrease in TV viewership during this year’s election night compared to four years ago.
During primetime hours, approximately 36.6 million viewers watched the presidential election on the main four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) as well as the top three cable news channels (CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC). This represents a significant decrease from the 50.7 million who tuned in to these networks four years ago. All seven outlets experienced a drop in viewership between 8 pm and 11 pm compared to 2020. Donald Trump was re-elected, with most news organizations declaring the race in his favor during early hours of Wednesday morning.
On prime-time television, Fox News attracted approximately 9.8 million viewers during their coverage hosted by Bret Baier and Martha McCallum. ABC took the lead in the broadcast competition with 5.67 million viewers, narrowly beating MSNBC (5.5 million) for second place overall. NBC followed closely behind with an average of 5.32 million viewers, while CNN had 4.71 million and CBS had 3.49 million. The figures do not include out-of-home viewing and are expected to increase slightly in the final national results, but they’re unlikely to reach the ratings levels seen in 2020.
It’s likely that Tuesday will set a record for being the least-watched election night since at least 2004, with fewer viewers than the approximately 55 million who tuned in to watch the results in 2004. Nielsen has been tracking total viewer data since 2000 and household figures for even earlier elections.
More to come.
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2024-11-06 21:54