40 Million Watched Biden Inauguration on TV... More Than During Trump Era

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dong-hyun] The number of people who watched U.S. President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on TV was found to be more than 1.5 million higher than those who watched former President Donald Trump's inauguration.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 22nd (local time), Nielsen, a ratings research company, analyzed that nearly 40 million viewers watched President Biden's inauguration through major cable broadcasters on the 20th. This number exceeds the 38.3 million viewers during former President Trump's first speech in 2017.

Additionally, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the same day, the average number of viewers who tuned into broadcasts from six major networks was 29.4 million, which is 2.4 million more than during former President Trump's inauguration. The broadcaster with the lowest ratings was Fox News, known for its conservative stance, with 2.7 million viewers watching President Biden's inauguration.

The NYT also reported that Nielsen did not count the number of people who watched the inaugurations of the two presidents via streaming platforms, suggesting that the actual number of viewers is likely much higher.

Meanwhile, the inauguration ceremony and related events were held on a reduced scale due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).