The second 2020 Democratic primary debate reportedly drew over 18 million viewers on Thursday night, breaking a record previously set by Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2015. According to CNN, Nielsen data shows that 18.1 million TVs were tuned into the debate across three TV channels—NBC, MSNBC, and Telemundo. This number does not include those who streamed the debate online, meaning that more people likely saw Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), ex-Vice President Joe Biden, Sanders and others debate than what was recorded. Wednesday night’s debate, featuring Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), drew in 15.3 million. The previous record, the debate between Sanders and Clinton in October 2015, drew in 15.5 million viewers.
