The final evening of the Democratic National Convention garnered significant viewership, with 26.2 million viewers tuning in across 15 television networks, as reported by Nielsen. This solidified the DNC's ratings dominance over the Republican convention. The peak viewership occurred during Vice President Kamala Harris' address in Chicago, drawing an average of 28.9 million viewers from 10:31 p.m. to 11:11 p.m. ET.
MSNBC emerged as the top network in terms of viewership, attracting 6.5 million viewers, followed by another network with 3.9 million viewers. Notably, MSNBC stated that it was their most-watched DNC night in the network's history.
On the other hand, the final evening of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which occurred shortly after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, drew in 25.38 million viewers. The audience peaked during Trump's speech, reaching 28.4 million viewers.
It is important to note that Nielsen does not include ratings from streaming platforms such as YouTube or Twitch in their calculations.
The DNC's television ratings were potentially influenced by speculation surrounding a possible appearance or performance by Beyoncé at the convention. Leading up to Harris' address, social media was abuzz with rumors about Beyoncé's involvement. However, despite reports from sources like TMZ suggesting her appearance, Beyoncé's publicist confirmed she would not be attending the event.
According to a source familiar with the situation, the Harris campaign and convention officials had not confirmed Beyoncé's participation to reporters and had dismissed inquiries seeking verification. TMZ did not reach out to the campaign or convention officials for comment before publishing their story.
