Television ratings for the Democratic National Convention's first night plummeted by 22 percent compared to 2016, raising questions about Vice President Kamala Harris's true popularity despite extensive media praise.
Television ratings for the first night of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) dropped 22 percent compared to 2016, according to Nielsen.
This decline suggests that despite media portrayals, Vice President Kamala Harris may not have the broad appeal expected.
Approximately 20 million people tuned in for the first night of the DNC, which saw a slight increase from 2020's virtual convention but a significant dip from 2016, Axios reported.
During President Biden's speech, 19.1 million viewers watched the DNC live from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET. MSNBC led all networks with 4.6 million viewers, followed by CNN (3.2 million), ABC (2.8 million), Fox News (2.4 million), CBS (2.0 million), and NBC (1.8 million), according to fast national data provided by MSNBC. The network reported that Monday was their largest DNC night one viewership ever.
Despite the substantial coverage of Harris’s historic candidacy, the ratings slump persisted.
According to a Media Research Center study, television networks gave Harris 84 percent positive coverage since she entered the presidential race, while coverage of former President Donald Trump remained overwhelmingly negative at 89 percent.
A recent survey revealed that 70 percent of registered Democrats and independents who supported President Joe Biden in 2020 remain largely unaware of many of Harris's more controversial or radical positions.
The second day of the convention fared no better. Several media outlets released critical headlines targeting the DNC’s schedule, messaging, and political strategies, while unrest outside the convention center further fueled negative press coverage.
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