Ratings: Lester Holt’s NBC Home Beats Rest of Big 4 on Debate Night
It’s good to have the moderator. NBC handily beat the rest of the Big 4 broadcast competition on debate night, when its Lester Holt presided over the 90-minute Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton argument.
ABC was better than CBS from 9 o’clock to 10:30 p.m. ET — the actual debate time slot — though “The Big Bang Theory” at 8 helped the latter top the former in the overall primetime key demo average, which counts 8-11 o’clock and audience members 18-49-years-old.
The Disney-owned network still took silver in total viewers across the three hours, however. All debate numbers should be considered preliminary and (very) subject to change at this point.
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For all of primetime, NBC was first in ratings with a 4.4 rating/12 share in the advertiser-coveted 18-49 demographic and in total viewers with an average of 14.4 million, according to preliminary numbers. “The Voice” at 8 p.m. ET earned a 3.3/10 and 12.1 million viewers. The two-hour debate coverage from 9 to 11 scored an average 5.0/13 and 15.6 million viewers.
CBS was second in ratings with a 2.8/8 and third in viewers with 11 million. “The Big Bang Theory” at 8 p.m. ET landed a 3.5/12 and 14.1 million viewers. At 8:30, “Kevin Can Wait” posted a 2.7/8 and 10.9 million viewers. Debate coverage for the next 120 minutes averaged a 2.6/7 and 10.2 million viewers.
ABC was third in ratings with a 2.5/7 and second in viewers with 11.3 million. “Dancing With the Stars” at 8 p.m. ET twirled to a 1.8/6 and 10.7 million viewers. Debate coverage averaged a 2.9/8 and 11.6 million viewers, from 9 to 11.
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Fox was fourth in ratings with a 1.5/4 and in viewers with 4.6 million. “Gotham” at 8 p.m. ET received a 1.2/4 and 3.7 million viewers. The debate stuff nabbed a 1.7/5 and 5 million viewers. Fox ordinarily cuts its national primetime off at 10; last night, it went to 11.
Univision was fifth in ratings with a 0.8/2 and in viewers with 2.1 million.
Telemundo was sixth in ratings with a 0.6/2 and in viewers with 1.7 million. Both Spanish-language nets simulcast the debate.
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The CW was seventh in ratings with a 0.3/1 and in viewers with 1 million, airing reruns.
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