NBC drew 7.51 million average total viewers across linear television, digital and streaming for Wednesday’s Republican presidential primary debate, according to Nielsen figures.
Wednesday’s Republican debate aired from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET and was moderated by “Nightly News” anchor and managing editor Lester Holt and “Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker. NBC News’ linear network scored 6.86 million average viewers for the debate.
NBC News’ debate aired across NBC, NBC News Now, NBCNews.com, Peacock, Sky News, Universo, NoticiasTelemundo.com, and Noticias Telemundo’s social platforms.
NBC News Now averaged its largest primetime audience ever across core platforms and viewership was up 650% compared to the average viewership of the streaming channel.
Prior to Wednesday’s debate, Fox networks held a monopoly over the Republican presidential debates of the 2024 election cycle.
The first debate of the cycle, hosted by Fox News in August, brought in 12.8 million total viewers, according to data released by Nielsen. The viewership for the first debate significantly surpassed expectations for the network, nabbing 2.82 million viewers in the 25-54 demographic.
The second Republican debate hosted by Fox Business Network drew in 9.5 million viewers across Fox News, Fox Business and Univision. The event drew in 2 million viewers in the key cable demographic among adults 25-54. Total viewership dropped from the first GOP debate in late August, down 26% from its prior viewership of 12.8 million.
NewsNation will host the fourth GOP primary debate, which will broadcast on Dec. 6. The debate will be moderated by Megyn Kelly, NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas, and editor-in-chief of The Washington Free Beacon, Eliana Johnson.
