NEW: DNC Posts Lackluster Ratings, Down 22 Percent From 2016

Ratings for night one of the Democratic National Convention were slightly up from 2020, though overall ratings remain down significantly since 2016.

The first night of the DNC drew an average of 20.3 million viewers Monday, ranking slightly higher than the opening night of the Republican National Convention, which took place just days after former President Donald Trump was nearly assassinated.

Monday night’s coverage also served as President Biden’s farewell address to the party after he announced he would be suspending his re-election campaign, giving the first night an added draw over the RNC.

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Nielson ratings account for coverage from ABC (2.8 million), CBS (2 million), NBC (1.8 million), Scripps News, Univision, CNN (3.2 million), CNNe, Fox Business, Fox News Channel (2.4 million), MSNBC (4.6 million), Newsmax, NewsNation, and PBS. The numbers account for viewers tuning in between 9 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Central Time.

The numbers are likely higher for both conventions, as Nielson ratings do not factor in significant numbers of online and live-streaming viewers.

Mondays numbers were up slightly from 2020, when 19.75 million viewers tuned in. Ratings remain down significantly when compared with 2016, however, which drew 25.95 million viewers.

The DNC will almost certainly draw its highest number of viewers on Thursday night, when Vice President Harris will cap off the convention and accept the party nomination for president in her primetime address. Minnesota Governor and Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz is set to address the Chicago crowd on Wednesday, while former President Barack Obama headlined night two.

It remains to be seen whether Harris’ address will outdraw former President Trump’s RNC address last month, which drew a peak of 28.4 million viewers. In 2020, 24.6 million opted to watch the final night of the DNC, when Joe Biden delivered his speech.

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