CNN’s Democratic presidential debate Tuesday drew 7.3 million total average viewers with 2.1 million in the key demographic between 25 and 54, according to the network. Additionally, the live stream of the debate had a total of 4 million live starts, translating to an average audience of 467,000 total viewers.
Tuesday’s debate, co-hosted with the Des Moines Register in Iowa, was CNN’s third ahead of the 2020 election and was the seventh overall. It was broadcast live on CNN, CNN en Español and CNN International, as well as streamed on CNN.com and DesMoinesRegister.com. The 7.1 million viewers tuned in to see former vice president Joe Biden, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, billionaire Tom Steyer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
In November 2019, 10 candidates debated in Atlanta, Georgia, during the sixth Democratic debate, hosted by MSNBC. With 6.506 million overall viewers, it was the least-watched of the debates. CNN’s debate, the first of the year, outscored it Tuesday.
Part of the appeal of Tuesday’s debate was its status as the last debate before the Iowa caucuses, the first nominating contest in the Democratic presidential primary process in 2020. The caucus takes place Monday, Feb. 3.
Entrepreneur Andrew Yang, who appeared in the December debate, reached the donor requirement for the January debate but not the polling threshold (5 percent in at least four national or early-state surveys approved, or 7 percent in two early-state polls). He is still in the running.
The debate was held one day after New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker suspended his bid. Booker failed to qualify for the December debate.