Record-Breaking Viewership for U.S. Presidential Debate

The U.S. presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump drew 57.5 million TV viewers. This surpassed the 51 million viewers who watched Trump debate Joe Biden. The 2016 debate record stands at 84 million. Final online and bar viewership numbers are pending.

Wednesday's U.S. presidential debate captivated 57.5 million television viewers, as Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump faced off. Preliminary Nielsen data confirms that Tuesday's event surpassed the 51 million viewers who tuned in for Trump and Joe Biden's debate in June.

This initial figure, however, does not account for online viewership and audiences in bars and restaurants, which have seen an increase as traditional TV viewership declines. Comprehensive data reflecting these numbers will be released later this week.

The historic peak for a presidential debate remains untouched, with 84 million viewers watching Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016. Whether this season's debates set new highs remains to be seen.

(With inputs from agencies.)