Jimmy Kimmel’s interview with Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has attracted more YouTube views than the livestream of the Republican midterm convention, while President Donald Trump’s convention speech drew about 2.5 million viewers on Fox News, according to Nielsen data cited in reports.
Kimmel’s interview with Talarico, a Texas Senate candidate, was moved to YouTube following reported concerns over alleged FCC pressure. The interview has since crossed 4.3 million views, putting it ahead of the Republican convention’s online livestream audience.
Trump’s roughly two-hour speech on the opening night of the Republican midterm convention was carried in full by Fox News. The network averaged around 2.5 million viewers during the speech between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET. MS NOW averaged about 1 million viewers during the same period, while CNN recorded around 441,000.
Fox News was the only major cable network to broadcast Trump’s address in full, according to the report. On the first night of the convention, Fox News averaged about 2.3 million viewers.
The figures have drawn attention after Trump claimed that the Republican convention had attracted an audience larger than the NFL. In a Truth Social post, Trump described the event as “far bigger, better, and more important than anyone thought possible” and said the overall numbers had beaten the NFL. He did not provide figures or explain how the comparison was calculated.
Trump used the two-day convention to encourage Republican voters to treat the November midterm elections as a referendum on his presidency. He urged supporters to “pretend” that he was personally on the ballot and called on them to turn out in large numbers.
Republicans are hoping the convention will energise their supporters ahead of the November elections and help maintain control of Congress.
Trump also made a major financial promise during his keynote address, saying that American adults would receive $5,000 each if Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The contrast between television ratings and online views highlights the changing way political events are being consumed in the United States. While Trump’s speech attracted millions through traditional cable television, Kimmel’s interview has generated a larger cumulative audience on YouTube.
The numbers, however, measure different platforms and viewing patterns, so they do not represent a direct like-for-like comparison of television and digital audiences.
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