GOP Debate Ratings Are Kind of Incredible

24M Americans tuned in
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 7, 2015 2:01 PM CDT
GOP Debate Ratings Are Kind of Incredible
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. (More Republican debate stories.)

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