Thursday TV Ratings: Biden’s Town Hall on ABC Tops Trump’s on NBC

Meredith Jacobs
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Joe Biden Town Hall 2020 ABC
ABC/Heidi Gutman

It was a night of competing town halls in the first hour of primetime television on Thursday, October 15, and Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden‘s on ABC edged out President Donald Trump’s on NBC, both in the 18-49 rating (2.6 to 1.7) and total viewers (12.7 million to 10.4). (Trump’s also aired on MSNBC and CNBC, but those numbers have yet to be released.)

Elsewhere during the night, the first of two Connecting episodes (following Trump’s town hall) was up from its premiere (which aired at 8/7c), and Supernatural was down slightly from its return.

Here’s the breakdown for Thursday, October 15, 2020 (numbers are fast-affiliate based):

Time Show Adults 18-49 Rating Total Viewers (millions)
8 p.m. The Vice President and the People — A Special Edition of 20/20 (ABC) 2.6 12.7
Big Brother (CBS) 0.9 3.9
Decision 2020: Trump Town Hall (NBC) 1.7 10.4
MLB NLCS Game 4 (Fox) 0.7 2.4
Supernatural (CW) 0.3 1.0
9:00 p.m. The Vice President and the People — A Special Edition of 20/20 (ABC) 2.6 11.8
The Neighborhood (CBS) 0.3 1.9
Connecting… (NBC) 0.5 2.4
MLB NLCS Game 4 (Fox) 0.7 2.6
The Outpost (CW) 0.1 633,000
9:30 p.m. The Neighborhood (CBS) 0.3 1.8
Connecting… (NBC) 0.2 1.2
10 p.m. Emergency Call (ABC) 0.6 3.1
Star Trek: Discovery (CBS) 0.3 1.9
Dateline NBC (NBC) 0.4 2.5
MLB NLCS Game 4 (Fox) 0.8 3.1
Big BrotherCONNECTING...Dateline NBCEmergency CallStar Trek: DiscoverySupernaturalThe NeighborhoodThe OutpostDonald TrumpJoe Biden



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  1. W

    wolverine1070

    Broadcast only. Since Trump was available on NBC's cable outlets, he likely won in overall viewers. Also, it appears that some NBC affiliates may not have carried the Town Hall. That is their prerogative , but the Trump campaign should demand equal time if they carried the Biden Town Hall NBC aired last week.

    Funny how there were no ratings reports this week yet one where a lame attempt to throw shade on the President was available.

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