More Than 20 Million Tuned Into January 6 Hearing—Topping NBA Finals

Topline

More than 20 million people tuned into Thursday night’s prime-time January 6 committee hearing, according to Nielsen data, in which numerous details about the riot and attempts to overturn the 2020 election were made public for the first time.

Key Facts

According to The Hill, ABC’s broadcast drew the biggest audience, with 4.8 million viewers, followed by NBC with 3.5 million and CBS with 3.3 million.

On cable news networks, MSNBC’s broadcast reportedly reached 4.1 million viewers, while CNN drew 2.6 million.

Fox did not broadcast the hearing in all markets, while Fox News did not show testimony—the news channel instead ran its normal nightly lineup of shows hosted by Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, who have sharply criticized the committee’s investigation.

Fox News still reportedly drew around 3 million viewers during the 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT slot during which the hearing took place.

Most viewers who watched the hearing remained tuned in for the entire time, according to a New York Times review of Nielsen data.

Surprising Fact

The viewership figures topped broadcasts of the three NBA Finals games so far this month. All three games reportedly averaged fewer than 12 million viewers.

Key Background

The committee had long hyped Thursday’s hearing, promising shocking new information about how the attack on the Capitol transpired and former President Donald Trump’s connection to the rioters. Among the revelations were that Trump allegedly told staffers he had no problems with calls to lynch former Vice President Mike Pence, that Ivanka Trump doubted her father’s fraud claims and that “multiple” members of Congress asked for pardons after the rioting.

Further Reading

Jan. 6 Committee Hearing: Riot Defendants Say Trump ‘Asked’ Them To Storm Capitol (Forbes)