Election night narrowly misses a TV ratings record
NEW YORK (AP) — An estimated 71.4 million Americans watched returns electing Republican Donald Trump the next president on prime-time television Tuesday, narrowly missing a record set eight years ago on the night Democrat Barack Obama won his first term.
The Trump victory proved a surprise to both viewers and the networks themselves, which clearly anticipated a victory by Democrat Hillary Clinton based upon her consistent lead in pre-election polls.
Fox News Channel's audience soared as it became apparent that Trump had won the presidency, reaching a peak of 15.4 million viewers between midnight and 1 a.m. ET on Wednesday.