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First Lady Michelle Obama took over primetime last night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC, but a lot fewer people were watching than back in 2008. Like they had for the GOP convention last week in Tampa, ABC, NBC and CBS all broadcast an hour of the convention live, and they all had double-digit drops from the comparative night of the DNC on August 26, 2008.
With Obama’s speech the big ticket on Day 1, it was NBC that won the night as it did last week at the RNC. The network earned a 1.3/4 rating, down 24% from 2008. ABC had a 0.7/2, down 36% from four years ago. And with a 0.6/2, CBS took the biggest hit, with its coverage down 45% from the comparative night in 2008. In terms of total viewers for the hour, it was a lot like Tuesday at the RNC: NBC’s coverage last night drew 5.33 millon total viewers, CBS 3.22 million and ABC 2.59 million. Based on fast affiliates estimates not being time-zone adjusted, the numbers for the networks’ live coverage are likely to change later today.
Related: Kal Penn Takes A Poke At Clint Eastwood
It was actually all live on NBC on Tuesday. The network also aired a two-hour America’s Got Talent (2.3/6) second semifinal, with 12 contestants cut down to three going into the finals. Barreling toward its two-night Season 7 finale next week, Talent was down 8% from last week and tied for the series’ lowest Tuesday performance to date. On Fox, which did not air the Democrats’ convention Tuesday, it was back-to-back Gordon Ramsay with Hell’s Kitchen (2.5/8) and MasterChef (2.7/7). Both series pared down to the final two contestants as they head toward their respective September 10 finales. To that end, both were down from last week’s season highs; Kitchen dropped 14%, while MasterChef dipped 4%. Fox won the night among adults 18-49 while NBC was tops in total viewers with an audience of 7.509 million.
Besides the DNC, CBS ran repeats of NCIS (1.2/4) and NCIS: LA (1.0/3). ABC had encores of The Middle (0.9/3), Last Man Standing (0.8/2), Happy Endings (0.8/2) and Don’t Trust The B—- In Apartment 23 (0.6/2).
Related: Comedy Central Tops Fox, MSNBC & CNN’s GOP Convention Coverage In Key Demos
Deadline's Dominic Patten - tip him here.
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I bet you Fox News had higher ratings then NBC ! I watched because I find this liberal mess funny.
That’s such a coincidence! I watched the RNC convention because I found this conservative mess funny.
You know what, friend? That’s the very same reason I watched the RNC! I’ve never seen such a bunch of mean-spirited people in my life.
I had some trouble finding the TV coverage – went to NBC and all I got was the damn cowboys.
Actually your assumptions are completely wrong…. 4 million people more tuned in to watch the 1st Night of the Democratic Convention than watched the RNC. And Fox’s rating were down. I have to laugh at the “Liberal mess” comment, too, as it seeks to degrade and is completely wrong, again. I’m very proud to be a Liberal! The DNC couldn’t have been any better with a beautiful celebration of people out to help the middle class (which I’m sure you’re part of if not the lower, lower class), rather than to line the pockets of the few corporate big-wigs at the top who control all the wealth (top 1% control 93% of our money). What did the republicans have? 82 year old Eastwood yammering…..it was SOOOO sad!
I guess the thrill down the leg is not there this election year.
I think the first night of the RNC convention was on par with the first night of the 2008 RNC convention. The drop off in viewers came when comparing the last 2 days of the 2012 convention to the last 2 days of the 2008 convention.
I watched on PBS. I’m having trouble believing the speeches when the numbers cited and accomplishments listed do not explain the situation I see around me for the last four years. I’m ready for the economy to change and I don’t think this president has it in him.
Really? That’s laughable! We were headed into a major depression according to all sources coming out of Bush’s 2 terms. Not only did Obama save the U.S. economy from collapsing (and ultimately what would have bee the world economy collapsing)he saved the auto and finance industries as well as accomplishing the feat of national healthcare which no other president Democratic or Republican has been able to do. Your one line opinion does not have any facts to support it. Feel free to ask for my contact information so that I might be able to educate you…
I think this says more about how liberals and democrats get their news than anything. The DNC is decimating Twitter, HuffPo, etc. Youtube is one of the convention’s sponsors. A lot of the youth demographic that comprises an integral part of Obama’s voting demo don’t own TVs. They’re streaming it. Let’s get the numbers for that before we jump to any conclusions.
Part of why Fox News does so well is because it’s only the out-of-touch and the moronic who still get the majority of their news from TV, which is fine because that’s whom advertisers target anyway. Also, everyone prefers comedy to drama, so Fox News it is.
Explain how watching news on TV is either “out of touch” or “moronic”? You have to understand the logic of the language in order to use it to infer a thesis. Now, if you will, get on with an explanation of these absurd assertions. ABO2012
Funny how ratings only matter when they’re in your favor, huh? What’d you say about last week’s ratings?
Additionally, do you really want us to judge the DNC based on Twitter? That’s just one gaff after another for you twits.
Ratings for the DNC beat the RNC! Believe it was 26.3 to 22.4 millon…… This article basically was slanted and only compare 2012 to 2008. Ratings have dropped for ALL televison since then/ Also the cable channels and PBS have picked up more of an audience—–they are not considered the main 4 networks. Stop using misinformation to back conservative beliefs…..
“which is fine because that’s whom advertisers target anyway”
So you’re infering the viewers of Fox News are people that have money to make purchases and pay income tax. In other words; the successful that win in competition with others in the free market.
Anthony, making a comment like this only proves the old axiom, “It is far better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”
Well said, and let’s give credit where it’s due. The quote is from the first Republican president of the USA. Remember, the one who helped free the slaves. I’ll let all the youngsters go google his name since they probably didn’t learn it from the public education they recieved.
@anthony – yes, more people (not just Dems) get their news online. But don’t be so stupid to suggest young people are busy streaming the DNC convention on their iPhones when they could watch the entire thing on TV. Seriously, that’s pretty ridiculous. Young people stream music videos, not worn out DNC speeches.
The obvious reason for tv viewer decline is that most people have heard Obama yapping for the last 3.5 years and have already formed an opinion about it. Mitt Romney has made a presidential run twice now, so people know who he is. The difference with more Fox News viewers comes down to voter enthusiasm, which Republicans have much more of right now.
Hi, I’m a young person. I do not have television. I’m on my iPad right now replying to this DNC news while listening to speeches in another tab. Last night a friend of mine, while waiting for me, sat in his car and watched speeches streaming on his iPhone. I don’t think it is moronic to get your news from tv, but I can tell you from first hand experience, not random conjecture, that young voters do in fact go to the internet for their political news, which they are far more interested in right now than music, which has been proven by Nicki Minaj’s latest controversy.
Let me get this straight, Anthony. People who get their information from FoxNews are out-of-touch and moronic, but people who rely on Twitter and YouTube for their news aren’t? I think I’m starting to understand how someone like Obama got elected in the first place.
You Fox haters have been saying stuff like this for years and Fox’s numbers just keep going up. How’s that happening? I think that the “out of touch” and the “moronic” might be those like yourself who live in a little delusional word where only what they believe is right. But that’s OK. It keeps you from being and influencer.
Perhaps because of cable. If your cable company only carries FOX as in a majority of the country then there is no competition. So much for a free market!
What cable companies carry the “FOX NEWS” channel for FREE??
The only, free because it needs to be, bundled 24/7 news station I’ve ever seen is CNN so they can blare it in waiting rooms.
“FOX NEWS” is number one and a lot of people have to Pay EXTRA to even see it! There’s your free capitalism.
Yea, because no one watches TV anymore! lol. What a moron
Went to see 2016 last night. It was a great eye-opener. Theater was full. You could hear a pin drop except for the laughs when piglosi made her statement, “you have to pass it to find out what’s in it”. The people looked like they were in shock on the way out. More women than men in the audience. 2 men might bring 3 or 4 women. Might explain the conversion of women lately.
This is awesome to hear!
you people will believe anything! I love it! Now I know who tunes in for the crap my network churns out.
I too decided to see 2016 instead of watching the DNC. Funny, same experience – attentive silence except for the famous Pelosi remark. Theatre was not full but was a representative mix of demographics. At the end there was complete silence until I began clapping, then nearly everyone in the theatre joined in, almost like they wanted to applaud but were did not want to be the first (or only).
I also saw it about two weeks ago in Dallas. Theatre was full and there was a elderly black gentleman next to me who was in tears at the end of the movie. I truly felt that he just realized that the black community has been duped by this President.
I too saw 2016 last night. I went with one of my brothers and two friends. We sat ourselves armed, unarmed, armed, unarmed.
I learned A LOT about who Barack Hussein Obama really is, and seeing how the ghost he’s chasing (his father’s) his whole life, coupled with his radical associates during his formative years, it makes so much sense that he is an Anti-Colonialist at his core.
Everyone should see this movie. If it comes out on video/DVD, everyone should buy 5 copies and share them with anyone willing to watch. This movie does the job of vetting BHO, which the media elites refused to do. Guaranteed that if the dolts who voted for NOBama in 2008 knew even half of what they’ll learn in this movie, the Democrat National Convention would not be for Obama-Biden…
I watched quite a bit of the RNC convention on C-Span (as I wanted to hear the speakers and not the commentators). However, there’s no way I can stomach the DNC convention and it wouldn’t surprise me if there are many other who feel the same way.
On the West Coast, “America’s Got Talent” ran after the Democratic convention coverage from around 8-10 P.M. PDT.
If I was going to watch fantasy, I decided I might as well watch the Cartoon Network. Much better.
Exactly what I was thinking!
more like a chill down the spine.
DNC ratings yesterday were higher than that this time last week. I guess more people prefer to watch online?
I watched the RNC on CSPAN last week. The entire time. I only turned to Fox for commmentary for an hour after the last speaker. How many others did that? They dont count those viewers.
I did the same, because I missed a lot of speakers because Bill O’Reilly felt he had to confer with his co-horts. Who gives a hoot about their braniac opinions? I wanted to hear John Thune but he was drowned out, so the next night I tuned into and taped CNN they provide all the coverage. I wish I had done that each evening.
Oops, I meant C-Span, sorry had CNN on the brain.
I didn’t watch it because they have nothing to offer us! The economy is in the tank. There are no jobs, and they want ME to pay for abortions. I don’t think so. They want to throw Isreal under a bus. They want to make everything free — except the people! Nope. Not watching. I’ll vote instead!
Ironic that the leaders of Israel disagree with your statement. And no they do not want YOU to pay for abortions -they want medical decisions to remain between a patient and their doctor and require insurance companies to abide by the law. But Twist, twist, twist. Reality Check.
Watched PBS NewsHour instead of the networks to get a “more balanced” view of the Convention. Shocked to see that the network’s “liberal agenda” has bled into this last bastion of even-handed reporting! Very sad indeed. Too bad Jim Lehrer is no longer at the helm. They’ve really gone off the rails!
Watch on CSPAN – like Sue above. I watched the RNC that way also and enjoyed not having anyone tell me what I should think (or not think). Plus the house band was GREAT! Would not have heard them if I had watched on a channel other than CSPAN.
PBS…’even-handed’, ‘more balanced?’
hahahahahahahahaha
“Watched PBS NewsHour instead of the networks to get a ‘more balanced’ view of the Convention.”
Funniest post on the page!
You can always count on “public” broadcasting to present a balanced report.
What a comedian!
So what!!!! Honey Boo Boo was more popular than Willard Romney and his GOP rats!
Just say “NO” to ZERO! In my house in front of the TV were nothing but EMPTY CHAIRS!
Were you talking to your empty chairs? Reliving those great GOP moments of yesterweek… Oh how I love the spectacle of the republicans – like watching the madness of a rabid dog – riveting.
When this came on I turned channels and since I don’t have an outside antenna the channel I tuned to froze, thanks for nothing FCC! I just left it there as it wasn’t making any sound and as I was on the computer until I got done then I just turned everything off and went to bed!!!
If you are going to watch this circus watch on cspan, they dont count the ratings.
Honey Boo Boo rated higher than the Republican convention!
The final numbers are yet to come in.
Ger, didn’t they teach you not to repeat yourself in second grade or does that come later this year?
Does that mean more folks are watching CNN and MSNBC?
I’ll be curious to see how the convention ratings compare tonight compared to……FOOTBALL!
Conventions, like the rest of reality programming, is becoming surreal and stupefying. Turning the tv off will preserve your sanity and intellect. Wait for it, remote in hand, wait for it, power button, ahhhhh blank screen. Now, if I could keep them from calling me or putting their damnable signs on the roadway, I would be set.
Wait till tonight, you think I am watching Bill when I can watch Football.
No idea who Honey Boo Boo is…
ButI sure watched a lot of the RNC on all stations.
Might as well see what the CNN and Alphabet idiots have to say.
Turned it off when the First Wife came on…
I can get nagging any time
I would like to see the comparison numbers of those who watched RNC vs DNC by channel and by cable. I found the c-span cable was more reliable than the servers on Fox (must have been overloaded).