10.7M Watch Clinton, Obama Face Off on ABC News
By Marisa Guthrie — Broadcasting & Cable, 4/17/2008 2:50:00 PM
ABC News scored another debate high, giving the network the Nos. 1 and 2 spots in a record-breaking season of presidential-campaign debates.
Wednesday night’s debate in Philadelphia between Democratic contenders Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) was watched by 10.7 million viewers, the most for any debate in the 2008 cycle.
That edged out the previous high of 9.36 million for the network’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire in January.
Hosted by ABC News, the National Constitution Center and WPVI-TV and moderated by Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, the debate gave ABC its best total-viewer tune-in for the 8 p.m.-10 p.m. time period since November 2007 and its best 18-49 demo rating since February.
The first hour of Wednesday’s debate also won the 8 p.m. time period among total viewers and the demo.