However, the total audience figure fell well short of the record 84 million that watched a 2016 clash between Trump and then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
ABC, which hosted Tuesday night’s debate from Philadelphia, hauled in a whopping 18 million viewers, including more than 6 million in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic, according to initial figures from Nielsen.
NBC’s simulcast of the debate came in second, raking in 9.7 million viewers, while Fox News took the top spot among cable news channels, hauling in 8.6 million, more than double CNN’s audience.
A number of other networks, including CBS, Fox Business and NewsNation, also simulcast the debate.
The Nielsen figures do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who watched the debate online via streaming on YouTube, Roku or other connected TV devices, or those who saw clips of the event’s top moments on social media.
The debate came during a crucial time for ABC, owned by Disney, which like all major media conglomerates is grappling with dwindling advertising revenue for linear television assets and widespread cord-cutting by consumers in favor of streaming platforms.
The Hill's Dominick Mastrangelo has more here.
