Nielsen ratings data for the next major political event

Trump's Historic Second Inauguration Attracts 24.59 Million Viewers, Fox News Leads

Jan 21, 2025, 11:48 PM

Donald Trump's second inauguration as the 47th President of the United States drew an average of 24.59 million viewers across 15 networks, according to Nielsen data. This viewership figure represents a 27% decrease from the 33.76 million viewers who watched Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021 and a 20% drop from Trump's first inauguration in 2017. The event peaked at 34.4 million viewers during the 12:15 p.m. ET quarter-hour. Fox News led the ratings with 10.3 million total viewers and 2 million in the 25-54 age demographic, outperforming other cable and broadcast networks. The inauguration was held indoors at the Capitol Rotunda due to cold weather, marking a historic second nonconsecutive term for Trump.