LOW ENERGY

Vance-Walz VP Debate Ratings Plummet in Comparison to 2020

Tuesday's vice presidential debate saw only 43 million viewers—a significant drop from the 57.9 million people who tuned in to the vice presidential debate in 2020.

About 43.1 million people tuned in to watch the vice presidential debate between Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz—a significant drop from the single vice presidential debate in 2020, according to Nielsen. According to the ratings firm, about 57.9 million people tuned in to watch then-Vice President Mike Pence debate current Vice President Kamala Harris. The majority of viewers this year were over 55 years, according to the ratings agency, with over 29.6 million of all viewers falling into the oldest demographic category. Only about 3 million viewers in the youngest voting demographic, 18-34, tuned in to the matchup, the ratings firm said. The vice presidential debate, currently the last primetime debate scheduled before the election, saw significantly fewer viewers than the other debates between the presidential nominees—June’s debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump got about 51 million total viewers, while the second debate in September between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris after she took Biden’s place at the top of the Democratic ticket saw over 67 million viewers, according to Nielsen’s data.