An estimated 66.8 million people tuned in during primetime to watch the news coverage for the presidential election as well as the Senate, Congressional and state-level elections.
While coverage varied by network, 13 networks aired live coverage from approximately 8:00PM to 11:00PM. The chart below highlights the sum of the average audience for these networks.
| rating | Number of Viewers | |
|---|---|---|
| All Households | ||
| Persons 2+ | ||
| Persons 18-34 | ||
| Persons 35-54 | ||
| Persons 55+ |
For comparison, here are the figures for the 2008 election night coverage:
| Rating | Number of Viewers | |
|---|---|---|
| All Households | ||
| Persons 2+ |
2012 Networks Included:
ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, Univision, Telemundo, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, Current TV, TV One.
2008 Networks Included:
ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Univision, Telemundo, BBC America, BET, CNBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, TV One, WGN-America.
to be fair. there was a Emily Owens repeat that was a must see.
You’re right, DW. Emily Owens, MD was the difference. What a beast!
So the Super Bowl on one network beats election coverage across 13 networks. Sounds about right. God bless America!