Nielsen estimates that 36.1 million people tuned in to watch primetime coverage of the results of the midterm elections on Tuesday. Four years ago during the previous midterm election, 22.7 million viewers tuned in during primetime.
The 2016 Presidential election drew 71 million viewers.Previous midterms drew more viewers than 2014, but not more than 2018. In 2010, the total was 34.9 million. In 2006 it was 31.4 million and 26.3 million watched in 2002.
Tuesday’s midterm coverage, drew a 22.2 household rating.
Most of the 2018 viewership was age 55 and up, with 20.2 million people in that demographic tuning in. There were 13.2 million people ages 35 to 43 and just 5.3 million 18 to 34.
The networks included in Nielsen’s total are ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, Fox Business, Fox News Channel and MSNBC.
