Nielsen: 36M Viewers Tuned in to Midterm Election Coverage

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Nielsen estimates that 36.1 million people tuned in to watch primetime coverage of the results of the midterm elections on Tuesday.

Four years ago during the previous midterm election, 22.7 million viewers tuned in during primetime.

The 2016 Presidential election drew 71 million viewers.

Related: Talent Powers TV’s Social Media Engagement: Nielsen

Previous midterms drew more viewers than 2014, but not more than 2018. In 2010, the total was 34.9 million. In 2006 it was 31.4 million and 26.3 million watched in 2002.

Tuesday’s midterm coverage, drew a 22.2 household rating.

Most of the 2018 viewership was age 55 and up, with 20.2 million people in that demographic tuning in. There were 13.2 million people ages 35 to 43 and just 5.3 million 18 to 34.

The networks included in Nielsen’s total are ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, Fox Business, Fox News Channel and MSNBC.

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.