CNN’s primetime interview with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz drew 6.31 million total viewers, according to Nielsen fast national ratings, as the vice president sat for her first TV appearance since accepting the presidential nomination.
The interview, which aired as a primetime CNN special at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, helped the network rank No. 1 in cable news — more than Fox News and MSNBC viewership combined, which sat at 2.65 million and 1.37 million, respectively.
In the key 25-54 demographic, CNN topped cable news ratings with 1.18 million viewers, compared to Fox News’ 313,000 viewers and MSNBC’s 165,000 viewers in the age range.
The interview special, which lasted around 45 minutes and was conducted by CNN’s Dana Bash, was the network’s best performance in the 9 p.m. hour since hosting the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump in June. Excluding the debate, the interview marked CNN’s best performance in the hour since Biden’s inauguration in total viewership.
Airing across all CNN platforms, the interview reached 853,000 live starts on the network’s digital platforms. Live viewers on CNN digital platforms peaked at 9:09 p.m., marking 691% growth compared with the four weeks prior.
The interview was billed as a score for the network after Harris faced criticism for not sitting for an interview with members of the press since announcing her candidacy and subsequently accepting the nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Prior to the primetime special, Harris’ most recent TV interview immediately followed Biden’s poor debate performance, when she joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to defend the president.
During the sit-down, Bash pressed Harris on her policy positions, including fracking, which have seemingly shifted throughout the years. Harris refuted the notion that she was untrustworthy in terms of her agenda, repeating “My values have not changed” several times.
Harris also recalled her phone call with Biden after he decided to withdraw his candidacy, in which she asked if he was certain of his choice.
When asked about how Biden’s endorsement of her came about, Harris said that he had made it clear on the call that he would support her candidacy.
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