Republicans’ TV Audience Tumbles on Every Network Except Fox
- Viewership shrinks from Democrats’ opening night last week
- Virtual conventions are proving less a draw than real thing
Donald Trump Jr. appears on a television screen as he pre-records his address to the Republican National Convention at the Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 24.
Photographer: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The opening night of the Republican National Convention drew a far smaller audience than the Democrats did last week, with viewers tumbling on every major broadcast and cable network except the Fox News Channel.
About 17 million people tuned in to watch the convention Monday, according to data Nielsen released Tuesday, based on 11 channels. That was down from the 19.7 million who watched the first night of the Democratic convention.