1st Debate Blew Monday Night Football Out Of The Water Despite Trump’s Fears

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump listens to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Donald Trump’s fears that the presidential debate schedule was “rigged” because some debates coincided with NFL games were apparently unfounded.

Monday’s debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton was the most-watched presidential debate ever, while Monday Night Football suffered what were potentially the lowest ratings in its 47-year history, according to USA Today.

The game between the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints drew a 5.7 overnight rating, according to USA Today. Previously, the lowest reported overnight rating for a Monday Night Football game was a 5.8 for a game between the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers on Christmas Eve 2007.

It’s not clear if the Falcons-Saints game will take the cake for the lowest overall ratings for Monday Night Football. The final rating will be adjusted as more information is released by the end of the day Tuesday, according to USA Today.

Trump previously made a stink about the timing of the presidential debates, saying that Hillary Clinton and the Democrats were rigging the debates by having them take place at the same time as two NFL games. The debate schedule is set far in advance of the NFL schedule and is controlled by the Commission on Presidential Debates, however, not by any political party.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: