The “CNN Presidential Debate” across 17 TV networks earned a collective 51.3 million Nielsen-measured viewers -- down 30% from the first Presidential debate between President Biden and former President Trump in 2020.

The first Presidential debate in September 2020 registered 73.1 million -- the third most-watched debate in U.S. history.

CNN and sister networks HLN and CNNe posted the best results -- at 9.04 million. (CNN, by itself, earned 8.75 million).

Fox News Channel and ABC were close behind at 8.82 million and 8.7 million, respectively.

Farther down the list, NBC came in at 5.17 million, with CBS at 4.81 million, MSNBC at 3.94 million, and the Fox Television Network at 3.5 million. 

CNN says its Max streaming service recorded 864,000 viewers, with CNN digital viewership at 1.5 million.

All CNN platforms, including linear TV, streaming, and digital, totaled 11.4 million -- up 7.7% from CNN’s 2020 first Presidential debate (8.93 million). 

Thursday’s first Presidential debate was also well behind other first Presidential debates, which in recent years have averaged 63.8 million viewers.

Nielsen says there were a total 34.2 million viewers age 55 years and older on all networks, with 10.9 million ages 35-54 and 4.5 million ages 18-34.

TV networks included in Nielsen’s results were: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Scripps News, Telemundo, Univision, BET, CNN, CNNe, HLN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation, and PBS.

The highest-rated First Presidential debates took place in 2016 between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton -- at 84 million -- and in 1980, between President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, at 80.6 million. In 2016, there were three Presidential debates; two in 2020, and one in 1980.