Midterm Elections Coverage Draws 25.4 Million Viewers

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Viewing down from 2018

Supporters watch Fox News during an election night watch party for House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at the Westin Hotel on November 8, 2022 in Washington, DC. Republicans are hoping to take control of the House of Representatives away from Democrats.
(Image credit: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

An estimated 25.4 million people tuned in to watch coverage of the midterm elections in primetime Tuesday, down from the 36.1 million who tuned in to the 2018 midterms, according to Nielsen.

Coverage aired on 13 networks in primetime, compared to the 12 that carried election news during the last midterm election.

Nielsen said that 43% of those tuning in 2022 watched broadcast coverage, while 57% watched on cable networks.

Also: Media Figures Figure Prominently in Crucial Midterms

Fox News Channel had the largest audience, drawing 7.4 million total viewers in primetime. ABC was next with 3.3 million, followed by MSNBC with 3.2 million, NBC with 3.1 million, CNN with 2.6 million and CBS with 2.56 million.

Nielsen viewing numbers include ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, CNNe, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Newsmax and NewsNation. ■

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.