DNC ratings Monday night 1: Nielsen reports 20 million viewers
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Kinsey Crowley USA TODAY
More than 20 million people tuned into the first night of the Democratic National Convention, Nielsen said in a Tuesday press release.
The convention kicked off Monday night in Chicago, where Democratic nominee Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance and President Joe Biden capped the night with a speech celebrating his legacy.
The convention viewership is slightly up with that of the opening night of the 2020 Democratic convention (19.75 million viewers), when in-person events were scaled back or canceled due to the pandemic, according to Nielsen data. But it drew nearly 2 million more viewers than the first night of the 2024 Republican National Convention, Nielsen data shows.
While Nielsen ratings do not capture those who streamed online, experts still say viewership of conventions has been waning as they turn into predictable pep rallies. Still, audience can come back with an element of something unexpected, and one expert previously told USA TODAY this season's campaigns are the "fiercest competing political reality shows."
Looking back at previous RNC and DNC ratings
For convention audience, Nielsen measures the percentage of television-owning households that tuned in. The data captures audience from 13 television networks.
The household ratings for the first night of the 2024 Democratic convention was 12, Nielsen's release stated.
The final day of the conventions usually draw the most viewers. Here are the day-by-day Nielsen ratings for the recent conventions:
2024 RNC
- 2024 RNC Day 4 - 14.3
- 2024 RNC Day 3 - 10.6
- 2024 RNC Day 2 - 8.9
- 2024 RNC Day 1 - 10.6
2020 RNC
- 2020 RNC Day 4 - 14.7
- 2020 RNC Day 3 - 11.0
- 2020 RNC Day 2 - 12.2
- 2020 RNC Day 1 - 10.7
2020 DNC
- 2020 DNC Day 4 - 15.6
- 2020 DNC Day 3 - 14.6
- 2020 DNC Day 2 - 12.6
- 2020 DNC Day 1 - 12.7
How to watch the Democratic National Convention
The convention is taking place Monday through Thursday this week at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, will be the main venue for the DNC. Chicago has hosted the Democratic Convention 11 times, most recently in 1996 when the United Center saw President Bill Clinton was nominated for a second time.
The convention will air live on its website, from the United Center in Chicago between 6:15 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern (5:15 p.m. to 10 p.m Central) on Monday, and 7 p.m to 11 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central) the other days.
USA TODAY will provide livestream coverage on YouTube each night of the DNC, Monday through Thursday.
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Twenty million voters tuned into the DNC, swamping RNC viewership!
That simply means that ~325,000,000 Americans weren't viewing the DNC hate fest.
funny how the network cameras couldn't find anyone sleeping in the DNC convention...
Deny the facts Trumponistas. Harris Walz is whoopin your ass already!
The RNC had 8.9 million views on day two. The DNC had 20 Million...
Lol. Read your seed again.
Be nice to see the other days along with that #1. And the RNC was pretty much cut and dried whereas the DNC is an unknown drama fest with the coup that was pulled in the backdrop.
MAGA are in complete and utter denial as Trump's chances evaporate!
I dont think any of these number are decisive one way or the other. There is no meaningful difference between 10 or 15 million viewers or for that matter between 10 or 20.
I do think Trump cares though. He would care if he lost by one viewer.
Seeds like this seem to prove just the opposite.
How do you figure that considering Trump's obsession with ratings and crowd size? It makes no sense. He is fuming about the huge ratings the DNC is getting and the size of Harris Walz rallies...
Surely you are seeing his tweets and postings on Trump Media!
How is Trump Media stock doing as the US stock market soars?
Waah Waah!
It is obvious MAGA are watching the DNC but are lying about it by merely regurgitating the lies El Trumpo tweets as he watches...
Viewership Is Going Up Daily. A Blue Wave will devastate the MAGA!