Nearly 18 million viewers tuned in for third night of RNC, Nielsen data shows

Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY
·1 min read

Nielsen estimates nearly 18 million viewers tuned in to the third night of the Republican National Convention, the company said in a Thursday release.

The RNC is taking place in Milwaukee this week. On Wednesday, speakers such as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance praised former President Donald Trump while making the case for why he should be the next president.

In 2020, the third day of the RNC saw approximately 17.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

The fourth and final night of the convention is usually the most watched. Trump is scheduled to close out the convention with his acceptance speech Thursday.

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RNC 2024 live updates: When is Donald Trump's speech? Can I livestream the RNC?

Looking back at previous RNC and DNC ratings

For convention audiences, Nielsen also issues ratings based on the percentage of television-owning households that tuned in.

The household rating for the third night of the 2024 RNC was 10.6, according to Thursday's release. Here is how that compares to 2020's nightly ratings, when in-person events were scaled back or canceled due to the pandemic:

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

2020 DNC

  • 2020 DNC Day 4 - 15.6

  • 2020 DNC Day 3 - 14.6

  • 2020 DNC Day 2 - 12.6

  • 2020 DNC Day 1 - 12.7

How to watch the RNC

USA TODAY is streaming the RNC. Watch it live here:

The RNC will conclude on Thursday, when Trump is expected to speak. Other speakers are still being finalized.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RNC ratings show nearly 18 million viewers watched on Night 3: Nielsen

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