This piece is by WWSG exclusive thought leader, Sara Fischer.
Roughly 67 million people watched former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris’ first presidential debate, per Nielsen — a significant uptick from the 51 million that watched the debate between the GOP nominee and President Joe Biden in June.
Why it matters: Packed with viral moments, the event marked the first time Americans could see Harris go head-to-head with Trump and debate as a presidential candidate.
Yes, but: The ABC News debate still drew far fewer viewers compared to modern general election debates.
Zoom in: ABC drew the highest number of viewers (19 million) across all broadcast and cable networks that simulcasted the event, followed by NBC (10 million), Fox News (9 million), CBS (6.2 million), MSNBC (6.3 million), CNN (6.1 million) and Fox (4.8 million).
The big picture: While both debates so far this cycle have drawn fewer viewers than the previous two presidential elections, they still captured large enough audiences to suggest televised presidential debates still matter to the American people.
What to watch: Trump suggested Wednesday morning on Fox News that he isn’t likely to participate in another debate this cycle.
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