From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020, in Las Vegas, hosted by NBC News and MSNBC. (AP Photo/John Locher)
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With more than 33 million total viewers and a Nielsen score of 19.65 million tuning in on TV, Wednesday night’s debate in Las Vegas set a new record for the highest viewed Democratic debate.After months of declining ratings, the entrance of Michael Bloomberg and uncertainty surrounding the race brought in big viewership, which eclipsed the viewership of some notable programs from 2019.Here are some surprise shows from which the Democratic presidential candidates drew more viewers.Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
The deciding game of the NBA Finals
Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors fends off Golden State Warriors stars Steph Curry (right) and Draymond Green (left) in the NBA Finals last year.
Tony Avelar/AP
Despite a star-studded lineup and the side story of Drake’s antics by his courtside seats, the Nielsen score for game six of the 2019 NBA Finals — which saw Toronto clinch its first championship fell just below the Democratic debate in Las Vegas at 18,699 (Nielsen figures are shortened in millions).
The ‘Game of Thrones’ finale
“Game of Thrones”
HBO
Complaints from longtime fans aside, “Game of Thrones” was a consistent bread winner for HBO, bringing in high ratings for the premium cable network. However, diminishing enthusiasm over the final season of the series left the finale episode not only outpaced by the Las Vegas debate, but also not even the most viewed episode of the season, falling to a 15,845 rating.
The 2019 Golden Globes
Co-hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh open up the 2019 Golden Globes.
Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Sure, they may not be the Oscars, but for a political event to narrowly edge out a Hollywood award show is no small feat. The 2019 Globes scored a 19,212 Nielsen rating, falling just short of the Las Vegas debate.
The end of ‘The Big Bang Theory’
The long running series came to an end in 2019.
Sonja Flemming / CBS
Even the most-viewed episode of “The Big Bang Theory’s” final season didn’t manage to pull the viewership of the Vegas debate, with ‘The Donation Oscillation” hitting a 18,853 Nielsen score.
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