The first debate of the 2024 presidential election, one of the most-watched events on television, will be held on Thursday.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off again ahead of the 2020 election after a series of dramatic debates (and cancellations). This one will be earlier than usual and will not be moderated by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The candidates are expected to discuss age, immigration, abortion, and Trump's criminal record.
The 2016 debate, Trump's first appearance against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, was the most-watched presidential debate of all time, according to Nielsen total viewership data, but by other metrics, the highest percentage of households tracked by Nielsen was tuned in to watch a debate in 1960.
Let's take a look back at the presidential debates and their viewership numbers.
Historical Insight:From COVID to the Proud Boys, there was plenty of drama in the 2020 Trump vs. Biden debate
What are Nielsen ratings and what do they mean?
Nielsen is a media research company that tracks audience data.
According to the Pew Research Center, Nielsen measured viewership for election coverage using percentages that show the total number of viewers ages 2 and older, the number of households that watched, and the percentage of TV-owning households that watched.
According to the New York Times, the data doesn't include everyone who streamed the event, watched online or on a laptop or phone, and the companies can't be sure they know all viewers.
The first debate of the season usually draws the most viewers.
Historically, the first debate of a presidential election cycle draws the largest audience, and the first debate usually takes place in September after the candidates are formally nominated.
The first debate between Biden and Trump in 2020 was watched by 73.1 million people, compared with 62.9 million for the last one, according to Nielsen. The second debate was canceled after Trump refused to participate remotely following a coronavirus outbreak at the White House.
In 2016, the first debate between Trump and Clinton had 84 million views, the second debate had 66.5 million views, and the final debate had 71.6 million views.
Presidential debate viewership rankings
Debate viewership as a share of the overall TV audience has declined over the past 70 years, according to the Pew Research Center. Additionally, Nielsen ratings, which are based on TV-owning households, may not paint a fuller picture today than they did for the first debate in 1960, as more people are streaming.
But here's a comparison of the Nielsen ratings for each debate:
2020: Biden and Trump
- Debate 1: 40.2%
- Debate 2: Cancelled
- Debate 3: 35.3%
Note: Nielsen also included outdoor viewing and connected TVs in its 2020 totals.
2016: Trump and Clinton
- Debate 1: 47.6%
- Debate 2: 37.1%
- Debate 3: 41.7%
2012: Barack Obama and Mitt Romney
- Debate 1: 40.4%
- Debate 2: 40%
- Debate 3: 35.9%
2008: Obama and John McCain
- Debate 1: 31.6%
- Debate 2: 38.8%
- Debate 3: 35%
2004: George W. Bush and John Kerry
- Debate 1: 39.4%
- Debate 2: 29.6%
- Debate 3: 32.6%
2000: Bush Al Gore
- Debate 1: 31.7%
- Debate 2: 26.8%
- Debate 3: 25.9%
1996: Bill Clinton and Bob Dole
- Debate 1: 31.6%
- Debate 2: 26.1%
1992: Bill Clinton, George Bush, Ross Perot
- Debate 1: 38.3%
- Debate 2: 46.3%
- Debate 3: 45.2%
1988: Bush and Michael Dukakis
- Debate 1: 36.8%
- Debate 2: 35.9%
1984: Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale
- Debate 1: 45.3%
- Debate 2: 46%
1980: Reagan and Jimmy Carter
1976: Carter and Gerald Ford
- Debate 1: 53.5%
- Debate 2: 52.4%
- Debate 3: 47.8%
1960: John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon
- Debate 1: 59.5%
- Debate 2: 59.1%
- Debate 3: 61%
- Debate 4: 57.8%
According to Nielsen, there were no televised presidential debates in 1964, 1968, or 1972.
What time is the CNN presidential debate?
The CNN presidential debate is scheduled for Thursday, June 27th at 9pm ET.
