The Democratic National Convention this week achieved a ratings victory for the Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris, exceeding the television audience of the Republican event held last month.
Nielsen data indicates that the four-day celebrations in Chicago attracted an average of 21.8 million viewers, surpassing the audience of the Republican National Convention by almost 15 percent.
On the concluding evening of the week, Harris’ acceptance speech attracted an audience of 28.9 million viewers, slightly surpassing former President Donald Trump’s address in Milwaukee, which garnered 28.4 million viewers across 15 television networks. Trump’s speech, lasting over 90 minutes and marking the longest convention acceptance address in recent times, occurred just days following an assassination attempt on his life.
Harris’ success in viewership represented a setback for Trump, who is well-known for his fixation on television ratings and crowd sizes. During Harris’ speech on Thursday night, Trump monitored the event, sharing his real-time reactions on his Truth Social account, and subsequently called into Fox News to provide a lengthy counterargument.
Together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told. pic.twitter.com/yQkwUGfgyQ
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 23, 2024
The concluding evening of the convention proved to be a significant success for MSNBC, drawing in 6.5 million viewers, marking the highest audience for a Democratic National Convention in the network’s nearly three-decade history. ABC also experienced an increase in viewership, reaching 4.2 million, while CNN garnered 3.9 million viewers. Although Fox News generally leads in cable news ratings, including during the recent Republican National Convention, it slipped to fifth place on Thursday night.
Although numerous individuals also engaged with the conventions through digital platforms, Nielsen does not account for viewership statistics from streaming services like YouTube or Twitch, nor from public access channels such as C-SPAN.
The enthusiasm surrounding Harris’ candidacy, coupled with inspiring addresses from former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, along with appearances by numerous celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Pink, Kerry Washington, and Mindy Kaling, significantly contributed to increased viewership.
That's a wrap on @demconvention. Next stop: Election Day.
Help us win: https://t.co/GV81vxm9KQ pic.twitter.com/KSXt6EgFxa
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) August 23, 2024
The DNC transformed typically subdued moments into highly polished events, exemplified by an energetic rendition of the ceremonial roll call that incorporated music from each state, alongside an unexpected performance by rapper Lil Jon.
The Republican convention held in Milwaukee last month occurred shortly after an assassination attempt on Trump. Although it lacked speeches from former presidents, notable figures like Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock were present. During the RNC, President Joe Biden remained the Democratic nominee, with the party facing turmoil due to his poor showing in the June debate on CNN. As the situation intensified, Biden suspended his campaign the weekend following the Republican convention.
According to the Capitoneshirt