Viewers aren't interested in the Trump Impeachment Trial, at least based on ratings

New York Magazine

The six news networks covering the trial combined for a little over 11 million viewers on Day 1. On Day 2, the number fell to slightly less than 9 million. The first two days of the impeachment had a combined viewership of less than the one day that Christine Blasey Ford and Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testified in 2018. "There are reasons for the underwhelming performance thus far: Day one was a 13-hour event, full of slow procedures that set the terms for the remainder of the trial," says Matt Stieb. "The Nielsen data also doesn’t account for online streaming: Impeachment viewers may be more likely to check in periodically on a C-SPAN stream throughout the day, rather than November audiences glued to a night of gripping election coverage on TV. As for (Rachel) Maddow and (Sean) Hannity’s strong numbers, the hosts almost certainly benefitted from viewers looking for their politically-preferred recap. And unlike recent election specials, the ultimate result of the impeachment show is already decided, barring the total dissolution of Mitch McConnell’s political will."