CNN Debate Ratings Up Slightly In Final Tussle Before Iowa Caucus
ROBYN BECK/AFP
The final Democratic primary debate ahead of the Iowa Caucus featured the fewest candidates to date, which lent itself to more airtime per candidate, but for broadcaster CNN, it did not equate to more viewers.
According to Nielsen figures released by CNN, the Des Moines debate co-hosted by CNN and the Des Moines Register, over 7 million viewers tuned in to watch between the hours of 9 PM and 11 Pm.
Early figures reveal that 7.3 million tuned into CNN, of which 2.0 million were in the target 25-54 demo. Fox News enjoyed over 3 million viewers at that time, while MSNBC had 1.7 million viewers. Additionally, CNN’s live stream of the CNN Democratic Debate saw 4.0 million live starts on CNN’s platforms, which are numbers self-reported by CNN and not independently verified.
The 7.3 million viewers is up considerably from the PBS NewsHour and Politico debate in December of 2019 that was simulcast on CNN drew just over 2.1 million viewers across PBS stations nationwide and was seen on CNN by just over 4 million people. According to CNN, debate viewership peaked on television from 9:30-9:45 pm with 7.981 million total viewers.
Tuesday’s debate featured better ratings than the fifth debate hosted by MSNBC, which drew just over 6.5 million viewers – which aired the same day as wall-to-wall daytime coverage of Amb. Gordon Sondland’s testimony to Congress in Donald Trump’s impeachment inquiry.
CNN’s Press Release below:
Last night’s CNN Democratic Debate in partnership with The Des Moines Register attracted 7.3 million viewers on CNN and four million live streams. On television, an average of 7.317 million total viewers watched the debate live from the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Among adults 25-54, 2.109 million tuned in. The debate peaked on television from 9:30-9:45pm with 7.981 million total viewers.
CNN’s live stream of the CNN Democratic Debate saw 4.0 million live starts on CNN’s platforms (CNN.com, CNNgo on OTT apps & CNN mobile apps for iOS and Android; CNN’s debate was not live streamed on social properties). It was the biggest CNN debate ever for digital live streaming, and the entire day ranked in the Top 5 of all days in the last year.
The digital streams translate to an average audience of 467k total viewers (which is equivalent to how TV ratings are calculated). CNN TV plus digital streaming produced a combined total average audience of 7.784 million total viewers. Digital viewing added a +6.4% lift to CNN TV total viewer average audience, the highest percentage lift on record for a CNN debate. Notably, on debate day, CNN Digital saw more than 29 million unique multiplatform visitors and 25 million total video starts across its desktop, mobile and OTT devices. The audio of the debate also streamed on CNN’s channels on Amazon Echo, SiriusXM and Westwood One Radio Network.
The two-hour debate (9-11pm, ET) was moderated by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, anchor The Situation Room, Abby Phillip, CNN political correspondent and Brianne Pfannenstiel, chief political correspondent of The Des Moines Register.
Last night’s debate included presidential candidates former Vice President Joe Biden; Mayor Pete Buttigieg (South Bend, IN); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (MN); Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT); businessman Tom Steyer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA).
