Donald Trump’s inauguration day ceremonies grabbed 30.6 million viewers on Friday, significantly lower than the crowd that turned out for Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009.
Nielsen measured the 12 networks that aired any live coverage of inaugural events between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET. Obama’s history-making first time out averaged 37.7 million viewers. The highest-rated inauguration remains Ronald Reagan in 1981, which brought in 41.8 million viewers.
The Trump inauguration drew 2.8 million viewers 18-34, 7.2 million 35-54, and 19.2 million 55 and over. Nielsen measured viewership on ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business Network, Fox New Channel, Galavision, HLN, and MSNBC. Fox News was the most watched network, averaging 8.8 million viewers from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Trump’s inauguration ranked as the fifth highest in total viewers, behind Reagan 1982, Obama 2009, Jimmy Carter 1977 (34.1 million), and Richard Nixon 1973 (33 million). The 2013 Obama inauguration drew an audience of 20.6 million. Trump edged out Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration (29.7 million) and George W. Bush 2001 (29 million).
In household ratings — percentage of households tuning in — Trump ranks a mere ninth with a 20.1 rating. That puts him behind Reagan 1981 (37.4), Nixon 1969 (33.5), Carter 1977 (31.5), Nixon 1973 (28.5), Obama 2009 (25.5), Clinton 1993 (24.5), Reagan 1985 (22.3), and George W. Bush 2001 (20.8). It puts him barely ahead of Georg H.W. Bush’s 1989 inauguration (20.0).
Trump has shown himself to be sensitive to television ratings. Earlier this month, he blasted the rebooted “New Celebrity Apprentice,” on which he serves as executive producer, because its premiere rating fell short of the standards set by the show when Trump served as its host (and when ratings across television, due to lack of competition, skewed far higher). “Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got ‘swamped’ (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT,” the then-president-elect tweeted. “So much for being a movie star — and that was season 1 compared to season 14. Now compare him to my season 1.”
Trumps supporters showed up at the voter booths when he needed us the most! Remember 93,000,000 people on unemployment thanks to Obama couldn’t afford to make the trip. Also, popular vote and $5.25 will get Hillary a cup of coffee, not the presidency!!
Another fake news, Nielsen ratings do not account for online viewing, which has grown sharply in recent years and is far more commonplace than even four years ago. CNN, for example, clocked 16.9 million streams on its website, tying with Election Day for the site’s top event.
They didn’t bother counting online or international network broadcasts. I watched but not on the networks sampled. So I can personally attest the numbers are incorrect.
FYI, the internet existed in 2009 also.
You’re correct, I had to listen it on the radio at work. I couldn’t watch the parade until I got home after 5 p.m. EST
Hah. For all the whinging about “libtards” wanting “safe spaces”, I see only one group of people here whinging away about plain cold numbers, and they aren’t liberals.
You got this for POTUS, voted by your electoral system and not the number of votes actually polled in favour of the winning candidate, now it’s yours to deal with. And if you disagree, then get out there and express that protest – and don’t give in to despair, future elections are the time to act instead of sitting back and being complacent.
How about the high number of social media followers President Trump has?
A group of people who live behind fenced compounds, security guards and protected from the Deplorables are having a dummy spit.
Hollywood, you are suffering from relevance deprivation syndrome.
One of the reasons for the low ratings is that people were watching via streaming. Not only that, why watch it on networks that deliberately manifest their left wing ideology?
After all you whinge and cry and dummy spit, the real people of America, those that work hard to put food on your table, in most cases WORKING MULTIPLE jobs to do so, saw through your propganda.
The reality is, we have a President Trump, voted by a silent majority.
The Deplorables have won.
One final thing. The fact that the Clinton’s “Charities” are closing down post election, actually show how deceitful Hollywood is. Hollywood paid, only because it wanted to play.
So much for having a set of values.
If this is a contest then Trump still won
Most people under age 50 have cut cable/mainstream TV channels. These figures in the article don’t take into consideration the multitudes who watched online/YouTube. Variety wants to still believe dino-TV stations are the only relevant measure.
trump must really think the people are stupid! A picture is worth a thousand words, and no matter how he tries ti spin it, it was not “bigly” ratings.
I did not watch even one second of it…
Who the hell really cares about the crowd size ! My God just like a little kid. The stupid shit is starting all over again . Fucken grow up.
Perfectly said.
Probably Obama had more being the first black man elected. Trump outwitted the Dems, Republicans, Media, and Establishment. He runs a third party, under the Republican party’s nose. He has a lot of powerful enemies that will use the young college people to do their dirty work against Trump.
Didn’t even turn on the tv at all yesterday.
Bacteria that kills its host has a record turnout too. Libratard should be a country so that it can legislate itself out of existence.
If the truth hurts so much and all you can come up with is name-calling, why don’t you go watch Sean Spicer’s press briefing. It has all the lies about the inauguration I’m sure you’ll appreciate. Less than 10% of the nation’s tv viewers tuned in, 9th in household rankings. Trump’s d-list at best and his two bit reality show should be cancelled. Deal with it.
Hollywood is D list. The American people are A list. This isn’t spin. The Deplorables are dealing with it. Go to your Safe Space with a Juice Box for company.
I oughta start a fundraiser to collect, say $10 for each time I see “libtard”, “conservaturd”, “rethuglican”, etc. online on message boards and comments sections.
Your right less is more. Tard is better.
He is such a baby – and I cannot stomach that we have to put up with this for the next four years – This is serious and all he can talk about is the turn out at his inauguration and how many times his face was on time magazine…god help us all –
Maybe you could hunt out that copy of Newsweek that pronounced Hillary Clinton as having won the election? You know the one which they had to recall and dump?
I’m sure that will see you through the next four to eight years.
If you need help, how about starting up your own “Pay to Play” “Charity”?
This doesn’t surprise me at all.
Ratings would have been even lower if it was an HRC inauguration. #JusSayin
Secretary Clinton received 3 million more votes than Drumpf.
Thanks for that diversion, Kellyanne. Cute and hypothetical, but this is a discussion regarding yesterday’s lack of inauguration viewers.
LOL Jus Sayin are you Trump?, LOL, poor thing, of course not. You and Spicer lying are so funny
No, ratings for that would have been much higher due to the fact that she would have been our first female President ever.
I doubt that very seriously!