DNC ratings soar on third night

In a notable ratings battle, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) has consistently outperformed the Republican National Convention (RNC) in viewership over the first three nights, according to Nielsen data. The DNC attracted over 20 million viewers each night, peaking at 20.2 million on Wednesday, while the RNC's third night garnered approximately 17.9 million viewers. This marks an 11% difference in viewership, with significant speeches from prominent figures like Treasury Secretary Pete Buttigieg and former President Bill Clinton contributing to the DNC's success. The RNC's most successful night occurred on July 18, when 25.3 million viewers tuned in, largely due to former President Donald Trump's acceptance speech following an attempted assassination. Despite the RNC's peak viewership, the DNC has maintained a steady lead, with its second night reaching 20.6 million viewers, bolstered by speeches from Barack and Michelle Obama. The DNC's ability to draw in larger audiences has been attributed to longer broadcast times, resulting in a total of 10.1 billion minutes viewed compared to the RNC's 6.6 billion. While the DNC has excelled in overall ratings, it faces challenges in engaging younger voters, with only 851,000 viewers aged 18-34 on the first night. However, there has been a gradual increase in this demographic, with 968,000 tuning in by the third night. Analysts suggest that the candidate with the larger TV audience for their acceptance speech has historically gone on to win the presidency, adding significance to the current ratings competition.