February 11, 2021

"TV coverage of the trial on Tuesday afternoon averaged 11 million viewers on broadcast networks ABC and CBS and the three main cable news outlets — CNN, Fox News and MSNBC."

"NBC also aired coverage but its audience figures weren't available at publication time. The first day of Trump's previous impeachment trial in January 2020 also drew 11 million viewers across six networks, including NBC. Tuesday's average will obviously climb above that mark when NBC's total is added. MSNBC grabbed the largest audience with 2.87 million viewers from 1-5:15 p.m. ET, a little ahead of the 2.66 million who watched the trial on CNN. Fox News averaged 1.95 million viewers, followed by ABC (1.8 million) and CBS (1.74 million), according to Nielsen fast national ratings."

74 comments:

Ralph L said...

What about C-SPAN? Anyone truly interested would want to avoid interruptions. The others just want more Trump hateporn.

Wilbur said...

I'll remain among the missing.

Mikio said...

Patton Oswalt
"I just hope this impeachment trial gets to the bottom of who riled up that violent mob waving all those Trump flags. What a mystery!"
r/PH

Lucien said...

There are a lot more people at home in the afternoon this year than last.

tim in vermont said...

"You’re not a patriot if you can’t see what happened here.” - Mika ”Brzezinski on MSNBC

It’s the Nazi’s Reichstag Fire playbook to the letter. Her dad must know this even if she is just an ignorant tool.

If I weren’t retired, I guess I could get fired for saying that and my post would be labeled as “anti-Semitic” and never quoted directly.

tim in vermont said...

"that violent mob waving all those Trump flags. What a mystery!”

Another visual thinker easily manipulated by video I see.

iowan2 said...

The others just want more Trump hateporn.

That the first thing I thought.

I find the Senate going ons a non event. Listening to some talking heads attempting to make this sound important is just stupid.

What's the best/worst(depends on perspective) that can happen? Talking heads have spent endless hours gossiping about nothingness.

Right now I would like some analysis of what happens if a state refuses to allow Trump on the ballot. I have real problems with the assumption the Senate can tell the states who they are allowed to vote for.
What say you, constitutional experts?

Rory said...

The Dems would like nothing more than to keep show trials going permanently on all the networks. Scripted news reporting the results on all the networks every evening. Scripted standup commenting on the news on all the networks every late night. And in primetime, scripted series illustrating to viewers how they can be exemplary citizens, in any situation.

Humperdink said...

It mystifies me how anyone could watch this. Theater of the absurd comes to mind. It's like watching a movie backwards. We all know the end.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

How many viewers have to watch because it's a class assignment with a quiz afterward?

stevew said...

They are leveraging the Trump hate as long as possible to prop up their failing ratings. What will they do once this is over? I suggest they go after Biden, half the country would tune in for that. It would just be a different half.

mezzrow said...

I think of what I thought watching Sam Ervin and Howard Baker when I was still young and dumb and hanging on every piece of it and what I think while NOT watching any of this circus.

There's a conclusion buried in there somewhere, but I haven't found the right words for it. Not yet, anyway.

Dan from Madison said...

Why not publish along with these numbers how many people watch Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy, just so we can get a feel for a general sense of how many people really care? My first question when I see numbers is always "compared to what"?

Leland said...

Not much of a bandwagon to convince me to watch.

Dan from Madison said...

So I googled it. 15 million people watched Jeopardy yesterday, approximately. So fewer people watched the impeachment whatever it is (I refuse to call it a trial) than Jeopardy. Comical.

Breezy said...

I turned it on, Swallwell was at the podium. Changed the channel and never went back. I don’t intend to watch anymore.

As an aside, I think Chuck Schumer has had the absolute worst influence on our politics in my lifetime.

Mikio said...

Another visual thinker easily manipulated by video I see.

It just so happens there's a reddit comment from the link in my previous post that's quite apt here.
--------------------------------------------------------------
CaptainNoBoat
1 day ago

I wonder what it feels like to be a Trump supporter that stormed the capitol because Trump wanted you to do so.. He told you to remember that day forever.

..only to be labeled Antifa by conservative media, and Trump's lawyers claiming he doesn't support you at all.

Surely there has to be some sort of revelatory moment there.
------------------------------------------------------------

Temujin said...

Rush Limbaugh has more listeners on any average day/week, after 3 decades of doing what he does. With cochlear implants, terminal cancer, and people trying to have him removed regularly.

I still cannot get past the Time article laying out how the entirety of government, Big Tech, and the media worked together, with Democrats and Republicans, to fortifythe election.

Or how the same people referred to above helped pay for, supported, encouraged, and said nothing about multiple US cities being burned down, looted, businesses destroyed, and people murdered all summer long into the fall, and up to the election.

I'm watching a movie where everyone knows exactly what happened and no one is allowed to talk about it. Instead, we all have to point and talk about that wild red herring they're holding up.

Makes me nauseous and it should do the same for every single American.

Gunner said...

The people who say things about this trial like "isn't Biden upset that all this attention is on Trump and not himself?" amaze me. Slow Joe wishes this thing would last his entire time in office. He doesn't want attention on his stupidity. It's a nonstop Trump bash that fires up his morons while he can just sign his Executive Orders to pander to his base.

MayBee said...

Has anybody seen clips of Biden speaking at the Pentagon? Ooof. No wonder this impeachment trial has to happen.

Wince said...

So fewer people watched the impeachment whatever it is (I refuse to call it a trial) than Jeopardy.

And that's impeachment with Trump, and Jeopardy without Trebek!

rehajm said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rehajm said...

Has anybody seen clips of Biden speaking at the Pentagon? Ooof

No kidding. His ailment seems noticeably farther along than during the 'campaign'. I suspect we'll never see an extended unedited video of him ever again. At least not until they're rid of him.

Iman said...

Her dad must know this even if she is just an ignorant tool.

Daddy’s gone on to zee big dirt nap, but he would if he could.

Temujin said...

During his 'campaign' Joe was not required to speak, show up, leave his basement more than a couple of hours per week.

Now he is expected to show up. And sometimes even without Dr. Jill Biden at his side, with her arm in his back, making his mouth move when it has to. If you've seen the two of them on camera, she does 80% of the talking. Funny thing is, I don't remember seeing her name on the ballot.

Matt Sablan said...

We're really grossly mischaracterizing this as a "trial."

Bob Boyd said...

Has anybody seen clips of Biden speaking at the Pentagon?

Biden is re-inventing the flat tire.

tcrosse said...

We're really grossly mischaracterizing this as a "trial."

It's a group therapy session.

Matt Sablan said...

I'd also accept two minutes hate... though, I think Orwell under estimated how long a hate session could really last.

Michael said...

Having it on is not the same as watching it.

Butkus51 said...

many people with worthless lives

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

The left now thinks patriotism is good? I guess there’s a first time for everything

rastajenk said...

Having elevated my monastic stoicism to exciting new planes, I didn't even know a Stalinesque show trial was going on.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne aka Doug Emhoff's Pimp Hand said...

Based on the lengths some of my relatives go to ensure the don't miss a second of it (pulling up on their phones when they go to the John), I can state that rhhardin is right. It's all soap opera.

Anonymous said...

Same 11 million people, I bet.

"Maybe we'll get him this time!"

Stay tuned. Same Bat-time. Same Bat-channel.

wild chicken said...

I watched it because ads said they were going to show videos "never before seen!" But it looked like the JaydenX vids I had seen elsewhere. Maybe it was "new" to them.

I wonder how many senators weren't aware of the sequence of events that day? It was good to put it out there. If it was wrong then defense needs to show that.

But I can't get over the feeling that it was all a big mistake, starting with Trump's loose trash talking, a bunch of LARPing deplorables in their MAGA best, and a few agitators showing off for the camera, with no real plan or intent. If antifa can do it why can't we? Etc.

Only this was at the Capitol. Played right into the Dems' hands.

hombre said...

CNN and MSNBC with the highest viewership. Begs for an observation of the obvious, doesn’t it? TDS ignoramuses!

chickelit said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
chickelit said...

Those paltry few millions are well below what they could be drawing in viewership. I catch some impeachment coverage second hand due to an addict for whom I care. I'm otherwise disgusted by it all.

pacwest said...

I haven't been paying much attention to the impeachment. Have they caught the CCP spy running around Congress yet?

Bob Boyd said...

Banning Trump from future office isn't enough. They need to take away his hue.

narciso said...

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/please-tell-president-trumps-attorneys-democrats-main-footage-showing-violence-capitol-january-6th-filmed-antifa/

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

Going by my FB feed, almost all those watching appear to be Trump hating lunatics who need their daily fix of hate. You would think these people would be happy in getting everything they want but they seem more miserable than ever. I’m starting to think they are suffering from a real mental illness.

mikee said...

NCIS, top ranked cable show, had 10.03 million viewers last week.
Young Sheldon, the 18th ranked show on cable, had 4.437 million viewers last week.


The Limbaugh radio show has an estimated 3.5 million listeners for any given 15 minute segment, and ~15 million individual listeners per week.

The impeachment is a bust as a TV ratings draw. Perhaps farcical impeachment without actual basis is not the way to handle political disagreements, Democrats. Stick with the proxy protesters of Antifa and BLM burning down cities.

JAORE said...

Kabuki theater is more popular than I had imagined.

wendybar said...

Senator Mike Lee just told Glenn Beck that Justice Roberts was NEVER invited to preside over the Impeachment trial....

rcocean said...

320 million people. Probably 100 million households. So, 89% of the USA was NOT watching the impeachment trial. Probably just the same Political Junkies that watch CNN/FOX/MSNBC/etc.

narciso said...

Delusional


https://dailycaller.com/2021/02/10/terry-moran-donald-trump-republican-party-impeachment-fuhrer-caesar/

narciso said...


Lol

https://mobile.twitter.com/JerryDunleavy/status/1359864013979541506

Matt Sablan said...

Wait -- wasn't the losers/suckers comment debunked?

Narayanan said...


""TV coverage of the trial on Tuesday afternoon averaged 11 million viewers on broadcast

The first day of Trump's previous impeachment trial in January 2020 also drew 11 million viewers
-----------==============
strangely that is also the additional of popular votes for Biden over Trump.

LakeLevel said...

In 3 years, the networks will refuse to air the Biden impeachment trial, citing probable low ratings.

narciso said...




For real news
https://mobile.twitter.com/ShidelerK/status/1359883944402051073

DarkHelmet said...

I know there are a lot of Trump haters with too much time on their hands, but I would bet the number of people who actually paid attention to the TV coverage was significantly less than 11 million.

SensibleCitizen said...

Joe Rogan has that many viewers everyday. He's an MMA announcer, lousy comedian meat head.

(To be fair, he seems like a really nice guy and he knows how to interview people.)

stlcdr said...

Averaged or totaled? Seems like a total of 11 million people watched.

Biff said...

I notice that the article didn't mention how many viewers normally tune into those networks at those times. It appears that the numbers were in the same range as those for the first day of Clinton's impeachment hearings in 1999, which is kind of interesting since we have around fifty million more people in the country today than in 1999. (Shouldn't it be news that there are fifty million more people in the country today than there were twenty years ago?)

Meanwhile, the 96.4 million people who watched the Super Bowl were the fewest since 2007.

Readering said...

I haven't watched the trial. But regardless of ratings, it will be a permanent record, recycled in documentaries and dramas. Parts will become iconic, taught in schools and played around the world. It will take a while to process, and much depends on the future course of American politics.

Drago said...

wendybar: "Senator Mike Lee just told Glenn Beck that Justice Roberts was NEVER invited to preside over the Impeachment trial...."

This aligns with other reports from interesting sources and demonstrates rather conclusively our American Soviets always intended for this to be a modern Soviet Show Trial (doctored videos, doctored quotes, mix and match timelines).

But dont tell Historical Ignoramus readering about it. He/she/xe is already waxing not-so-eloquent about the latest show trial's historical "staying power" in precisely the same way he/she/xe claimed all the other lies would be immortalized.

But then, thats just how Soviets roll.

I am still waiting for that FBI proof of Kavanaugh's gang rapes readering assured us were on the way.

Drago said...

I wonder who will star in the inevitable Kavanaugh rape gang movie?

Will Carter Page star as a senior Soviet intel officer aligned with Putin in a future hagiograhic portrayal of Mueller and his Weissmann hand selected democratical henchmen?

Time will tell.

Readering said...

Hi Drago. You left out the invasion of Poland.

narciso said...

You laugh but they defamed senior chief gallagher on ncis la after his acquittal,,they covered for weiner six years later on law and order.

narciso said...

The comey rule included the russian hookers in the hotel.

n.n said...

It actually demonstrates poor performance for a sequel to a Democrat production that opened in theaters across the nation. However, corralling people... persons across mainstream networks, JournoListic havens, social contagion sites, and steering engines, does not establish a discernible favorability rating. The statistics from a limited broadcast would contain more information.

Drago said...

Readering: "Hi Drago. You left out the invasion of Poland."

Actually it was you that left out the invasion of Poland when you took a brief timeout from defending the ChiCom's to act as a Stalin Apologist.

Interestingly you have never taken back your whitewashing of Stalins crimes.

Unexpectedly.

Readering said...

Drago still mad 1/6 ended the way it did.

Francisco D said...

Readering said...But regardless of ratings, it will be a permanent record, recycled in documentaries and dramas. Parts will become iconic, taught in schools and played around the world.

Yes. Exactly how Soviet and ChiCom propaganda works.

You must be proud of your fellow Democrats. Very proud indeed.

Drago said...

readering: "Drago still mad 1/6 ended the way it did."

It was inevitable that after all else failed you would devolve to Inga level faux mind-reading.

Inevitable.

Readering said...

Sorry, Drago, I'll amend that to you must be still mad that 1/6 ended the way it did. Your preferred way of putting things, per your comment.

I miss our exchanges. Not.

Clyde said...

5.5 million XiNN and MSDNC viewers are going to be shocked when Trump is acquitted. I will enjoy hearing their howls of outrage.

Drago said...

readering: "I miss our exchanges. Not."

You do not have "exchanges".

You are a parrot.

Josephbleau said...

Yes Rendering, A great docudrama, "Der Sturm und die Falschaussage."

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Rusty said...

Jesus, Readering. Get your history right. You guys are a long way from Poland. You still have to convict someone for the Reichstag fire first. After that your puppet president can send troops under some made up slight.
FGor a lawyer you're really shit at this.