70 million people watched the final presidential debate

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The third presidential debate defied viewership trends.
(Image credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

More than 70 million people tuned in to watch the final debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Wednesday evening, leading CNN's Brian Stelter to deem the election the "highest-rated drama on TV." While the ratings didn't quite reach the same heights as they did for the first Clinton-Trump debate — 84 million — they did dwarf the final debates between Barack Obama and John McCain in 2008 (56 million) and Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012 (59 million).

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Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.