The vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) drew 43 million viewers, according to Nielsen figures.
Viewers tuned in across 15 different networks for the Tuesday faceoff, which lasted just shy of two hours. More than 30 million households tuned in, with more than 9 million viewers between the ages of 35 and 54 and more than 3 million between the ages of 18 and 34.
The age group with the largest viewership was those over the age of 55, which accounted for 29 million viewers.
The debate — hosted by CBS in New York and moderated by anchors Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell — was the first and only one between the vice presidential candidates ahead of the November election.
Vance and Walz engaged in the policy-focused debate Tuesday night, civilly sparring on immigration, abortion and the economy, among other things. Despite several disagreements, the two candidates also sometimes agreed on some issues.
According to a CBS poll, 42 percent of debate watchers say Vance, a Yale-trained lawyer, won. That narrowly outpaced Walz, who 41 percent of viewers said was victorious. About 17 percent said it was a tie.
