Political Insider
Political Insider

CNN draws its biggest audience ever: 22.9 million GOP debate viewers

Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, left, and Jeb Bush slap hands near the finish of the CNN Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump, left, and Jeb Bush slap hands near the finish of the CNN Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015, in Simi Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
By Daniel Malloy
Sept 17, 2015

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- With an average of 22.9 million viewers, CNN garnered the biggest audience in its history with Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate, the network announced today.

The Aug. 6 Fox News debate in Cleveland narrowly drew more eyeballs, at 24 million. But that debate was also an hour shorter -- and the numbers are averaged over the entire debate.

Atlanta-based CNN reportedly charged $200,000 per 30-second ad slot, resulting in a financial bonanza for the network as it extended the clash to three hours.

The 6 p.m. "kids' table" debate averaged 6.3 million viewers.

The previous record for highest-rated CNN program was a 1993 special edition of "Larry King Live" when then-Vice President Al Gore debated Ross Perot about NAFTA, drawing 16.8 million viewers. The highest rated CNN debate before Wednesday was a January 2008 Democratic debate starring Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton that drew 8.3 million.

The live stream on CNN.com also set a record with 4.5 million total live viewers, peaking at 921,000 on at once at 9:45 p.m. Eastern.

You can read more about the high stakes for CNN in our premium edition here.

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