Nielsen expects 26.2 million viewers

Nielsen estimates that 26.2 million viewers tuned in on the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

The four-day event in Chicago attracted at least 20 million viewers daily, according to event averages calculated by Nielsen, as celebrities such as Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey took the stage.

When Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivered her acceptance speech on Thursday, that average rose to 28.9 million, Nielsen said in a press release Friday.

By comparison, the final night of the Republican National Convention attracted an average of 25.4 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.

Convention attendance has declined over the past few decades, but experts expect a small increase this year due to the turbulent congressional election cycle.

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Looking back at previous RNC and DNC ratings

For convention audiences, Nielsen measures the percentage of households with televisions that tuned in. The Nielsen data captured the audience of 15 television networks for Thursday night.

Ratings for the fourth and final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention were 15.2, according to Nielsen’s press release.

Here are the daily Nielsen household ratings for the most recent conventions:

2024 National Youth Conference

2024 DNC Day 4 – 15.2
2024 DNC Day 3 – 11.9
2024 DNC Day 2 – 12.5
2024 DNC Day 1 – 12.0

2024 RNC

2024 RNC Day 4 – 14.3
2024 RNC Day 3 – 10.6
2024 RNC Day 2 – 8.9
2024 RNC Day 1 – 10.6

2020 National Music Competition

2020 DNC Day 4 – 15.6
2020 DNC Day 3 – 14.6
2020 DNC Day 2 – 12.6
2020 DNC Day 1 – 12.7

2020 RNC

2020 RNC Day 4 – 14.7
2020 RNC Day 3 – 11.0
2020 RNC Day 2 – 12.2
2020 RNC Day 1 – 10.7

Highlights of the Democratic National Convention

Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination in her acceptance speech at the end of the convention. In her speech, she spoke of her working-class childhood, warned against a second Trump presidency and promised to fight for all Americans.

Rumors of a possible surprise guest began circulating Thursday night, but it wasn’t Beyoncé or Taylor Swift as many had hoped. In a surprise move, the convention’s new attendee was Oprah Winfrey, who endorsed Harris in a stirring speech on Wednesday.

Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn, co-stars in Shonda Rhimes’ political drama “Scandal,” made a surprise reunion onstage. Pink, The Chicks, Stevie Wonder and John Legend all performed onstage.

Michelle Obama delivered one of the most quoted speeches of the convention, urging the audience to “do something.”