(CNN) — Fox Business Network’s Republican debate drew almost as big an audience as CNBC’s debate two weeks ago, according to early Nielsen ratings data.
The overnight ratings indicate that at least 10 million people tuned in on Tuesday. More detailed viewership information will come in on Wednesday afternoon.
Up until this year, primary season debates in the months before the Iowa caucuses usually averaged a few million viewers — primarily political junkies.
This year is very different. Donald Trump has received (and has taken) much of the credit for an extraordinary surge in viewership.
The first three Republican primary debates set new ratings records for Fox News, CNN and CNBC. Tuesday’s will easily set a new record for Fox Business, as well.
The overnight ratings showed an 8.9 household rating for Fox Business Network’s prime time debate, just below CNBC’s 9.5 household rating.
While these numbers are sky-high, the business channels had a smaller audience than Fox News and CNN had.
Those channels had far higher ratings — 15.9 and 14.7, respectively — for debates in August and September.
The overnights indicate that Fox’s undercard debate was much higher rated than CNBC’s equivalent, perhaps because Mike Huckabee and Chris Christie were on the stage.
Fox Business isn’t as widely distributed as CNBC. Fox live streamed the debate to make it available to more people. Fox did not immediately share any streaming viewership data.
Ahead of Tuesday’s debates, co-moderator Maria Bartiromo said: “This is an opportunity for us to make sure the world knows what the Fox Business Network is.”
The network sought to capitalize on the big audience for the debate by having its biggest stars on the air. Lou Dobbs anchored live coverage in between the two debates; co-moderator Neil Cavuto led the coverage right afterward; and Bartiromo hosted a special edition of morning show from Milwaukee on Wednesday morning.
Fox Business is also using the debate as a launchpad for a new season of its highest-rated show, the documentary series “Strange Inheritance.” The network is premiering four new episodes in a row on Wednesday night.
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