Politics | Republican debate GOP Debate Ratings Are Kind of Incredible 24M Americans tuned in By Newser Editors Posted Aug 7, 2015 2:01 PM CDT Copied From left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and John Kasich. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The Trump factor? As the pundits (and even candidates) squabble over who won last night's debate, Nielsen figures give the crown to a different champ: Fox News. An estimated 24 million Americans watched the prime-time debate, far more than any primary debate in history, reports CNNMoney. In fact, the figure "tripled the largest audience for any previous debate." What's more, it was the highest rated show on Fox News in the network's 20-year history, says a spokeswoman. The Daily Beast notes that the number of viewers exceeds the 23 million who watched the last game of the 2014 World Series; CNNMoney points out that 13.7 million people tuned into Letterman's last show. Read These Next Arizona governor wants answers on Grand Canyon fire. Farmer killed by water buffalo a day after he bought them. This find left experienced customs officers "speechless." After girl goes overboard on cruise, 'hero' dad to the rescue. Report an error