The fourth GOP primary debate drew just over 4 million viewers on NewsNation and the CW Network Wednesday night, continuing the steady ratings decline from the first verbal bout in August.
The audience for the two-hour debate from Tuscaloosa, Ala. dropped 47% from the third debate Nov. 8 in Miami, when an average of 7.51 million viewers tuned in to watch five White House contenders spar.
The inaugural debate of the cycle, held Aug. 23 in Milwaukee and hosted by Fox News Channel, drew 12.8 million viewers — making it the most-watched non-sports cable telecast of the year to date and outdrawing ABC, CBS, and NBC combined on the night.
The second debate, held Sept. 27 in Simi Valley, Calif. and hosted by the Fox Business Network, attracted 9.5 million viewers.
The 1.6 million who tuned in to Wednesday’s debate on NewsNation gave the 27-month-old network the largest audience in its history. Another 2.5 million tuned into the CW simulcast, including more than 300,000 on Channel 11 in the New York market.
“NewsNation was incredibly honored to host last night’s debate, and we are very pleased that so many viewers tuned in and watched,” said Sean Compton, president of Networks for Nexstar Media said in a statement.
By comparison, last week’s made-for-TV debate between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom drew an average of 4.75 million viewers to Fox News Channel.
The same network hosted a town hall Tuesday night with Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, which attracted an average of 3.2 million viewers.
“This debate represents a remarkable achievement for a cable news network that is just barely three years old,” Compton added. “We’re very proud of the NewsNation team, the great job done by the moderators, and the overall production. In the end, the real winners last night were the nation’s voters.”
The spectacle was moderated by SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly, Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson, and NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas.
A separate estimate from AdImpact found that the first debate drew 14.2 million, the second debate drew 9.9 million, the third debate attracted 9.1 million, and fourth debate drew 3.2 million.
The Republican National Committee has not announced any additional debates before the Jan. 15, 2024, Iowa caucuses.
However, CNN has announced plans to stage debates in Iowa Jan. 10 and New Hampshire Jan. 21.
