Oct. 2 (UPI) — The vice presidential debate between Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota drew more than 43 million viewers Tuesday night, making it one of the most-watched live events of the year, according to Nielsen.
The debate, which was hosted by CBS News, had 43.1 million viewers watching across 15 networks. That number does not account for the audience viewing the debate on websites or social platforms.
Vice presidential debates have averaged 46 million viewers back to 1976, according to Nielsen. Viewers over the age of 55 made up the bulk of Tuesday’s audience with nearly 30 million viewers.
Tuesday’s debate between Vance and Walz — which featured a contested fact check, muted microphones and more attacks on their opponent’s running mates than attacks on each other — pulled fewer viewers than the second most-watched vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence in 2020. That debate drew 57.9 million viewers.
The most-watched vice presidential debate came in 2008, when Joe Biden squared off against Sarah Palin, drawing 69.9 million viewers. That is more than the 67.1 million viewers former President Donald Trump and Vice President Harris drew last month to their presidential debate.