NEW YORK—An estimated 43.15 million viewers watched the CBS News Vice Presidential Debate across 15 networks on Tuesday, according to Nielsen. The first and only vice presidential debate of the 2024 election was held at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York and featured the Republican nominee, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, and the Democratic nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The debate aired live from approximately 9:00 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday evening. A full list of reported networks can be referenced in the viewership table below.
The bulk of viewers—just over 38 million—watched on the four commercial broadcast networks and three biggest cable networks, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC, according to “The Hollywood Reporter.”
While these preliminary numbers only cover the broadcasts, Fox News Media claimed the highest number of viewers of the simulcast event. Unlike Nielsen, though, Fox News included viewers across all platforms—including its Fox Business Network and its streaming platforms—with 10.4 million viewers estimated to have watched, it said.
Ratings were down 25.5% from the 2020 debate between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, now the vice president, and then-Vice President Mike Pence, which drew just under 58 million.
