51 million tune in: Biden vs Trump US presidential debate viewership plummets

The final Nielsen data reveals that over 51 million TV viewers watched the US presidential debate between President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger, Donald Trump, on Thursday. This figure is approximately 30 per cent lower than the 73 million people who tuned in to watch the candidates' initial debate in 2020, making it one of the three lowest-rated first presidential debates since 1976.
The comparatively low viewership could suggest a lack of voter enthusiasm for both candidates, although it does not fully account for the growing popularity of online viewing as traditional TV audiences continue to decline.Media experts were interested in observing how CNN's new format would unfold and whether it could serve as a model for future debates.
Three media experts agreed that the format's restrictions, including the ability to mute the candidates' microphones, should be adopted by other networks as they helped maintain a level of discipline.
CNN, which held exclusive rights to host the debate, provided candidates with two minutes for each answer and one minute for rebuttals, muting their microphones if they exceeded the allotted time.
The studio had no audience, and moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper did not fact-check the candidates in real-time.
Despite criticism from some media commentators about the lack of real-time fact-checking, which allowed both candidates to make false claims, CNN defended its approach. "The role of the moderators is to present the candidates with questions that are important to American voters and to facilitate a debate, enabling candidates to make their case and challenge their opponent," a CNN spokesperson said.
During the debate, Biden's performance was shaky and hesitant, while Trump made numerous exaggerated or false claims that largely went unchallenged by his opponent.
Frank Sesno, a professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University and a former CNN journalist, remarked, "Without having an audience, you got a sense of who these guys are and what they are." He added, "You got the sense of Trump the attack dog and Biden as something of the policy wonk and the hesitant old man that you saw standing behind that mic."