The Nevada Democratic debate set a new viewership record

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg showed up for his first Democratic debate on Wednesday, and it seems safe to say there was some interest.

About 19.7 million people tuned in for the Nevada Democratic debate on Wednesday between NBC and MSNBC, making this the most-viewed Democratic primary debate ever, CNN reports. A June 2019 Democratic debate previously set the record with 18.1 million viewers.

This number was particularly impressive when you consider that it's not too far below the viewership for the 92nd Academy Awards, which recently sank to to an all-time low with an audience of 23.6 million viewers. The Nevada debate still falls short of the 24 million viewers who tuned into the first debate of the 2016 Republican primaries.

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The Nevada Democratic debate turned into something of a roast of Bloomberg, with every candidate pummeling the former mayor, whose debate performance was subsequently panned by pundits. It was certainly the most combative of the Democratic primary debates so far, and if viewers are up for another round, the next one is just five days away on Feb. 25.