Democratic debate viewership rises by almost 25 percent from 1st to 2nd night

With the frontrunner taking center stage, Wednesday's Democratic presidential debate picked up a larger audience than the night prior, although viewership for both events still paled in comparison to June's opening round.
About 10.72 million people tuned into CNN's telecast of the second night of presidential debates on Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter reports, up from the 8.69 million who watched the telecast on Tuesday night.
These numbers don't factor in online streaming; about 3.1 million people streamed Wednesday's debate online compared to 2.7 million who streamed Tuesday's, Axios reports.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This improvement wasn't surprising considering Wednesday's debate was the one with the race's frontrunner, former Vice President Joe Biden. It also featured Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and a rematch between the two was anticipated after Harris slammed Biden for his record on busing in the most memorable moment of June's debate. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) were among the participants in Tuesday's debate, while other Wednesday participants included Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).
In June, the Democratic debates drew about 15 million viewers on the first night and about 18 million on the second night; as was the case this time, the higher-rated debate in June was the one featuring Biden. President Trump on Wednesday tweeted with glee about the Tuesday debate drawing "very low ratings," although a decline had been expected, as one also took place between the first and second debates during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.
It is true, however, that viewership for the 2016 Republican presidential primary debates featuring then-candidate Trump were far larger than these Democratic debates, with the first one in August 2015 drawing a massive audience of 24 million people, notes the Reporter. In reference to this week's ratings, Trump tweeted on Wednesday, "they're desperate for Trump!"
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
5 cracking cartoons about the new Cracker Barrel logo
Cartoons Artists take on MAGA designs, real issues, and more
-
Should you downsize for retirement? Here's what to consider.
The Explainer Moving to a smaller place may seem easier, but there are also some real benefits to staying put
-
What to do if you want to move but don't want to give up your low mortgage rate
the explainer 30-year mortgage rates are currently averaging 7% — and homeowners who secured rates closer to 3% during the pandemic are reluctant to sell their homes
-
New York court tosses Trump's $500M fraud fine
Speed Read A divided appeals court threw out a hefty penalty against President Trump for fraudulently inflating his wealth
-
Trump said to seek government stake in Intel
Speed Read The president and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan reportedly discussed the proposal at a recent meeting
-
US to take 15% cut of AI chip sales to China
Speed Read Nvidia and AMD will pay the Trump administration 15% of their revenue from selling artificial intelligence chips to China
-
NFL gets ESPN stake in deal with Disney
Speed Read The deal gives the NFL a 10% stake in Disney's ESPN sports empire and gives ESPN ownership of NFL Network
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year