CBS News' GOP debate is most watched debate of 2016
CBS News' Republican debate in Greenville, South Carolina, broke the record for the most watched debate of 2016, according to a report by television ratings company Nielsen.
With the GOP candidates in a no-holds-barred battle for South Carolina support ahead of the party's state primary on Feb. 20, the debate drew in over 13.5 million viewers Saturday evening. Viewers tuning in witnessed Donald Trump clash with virtually every other Republican rival on the stage, tackling issues like eminent domain, Trump's conservative record, and the Bush family legacy. Other White House contenders also exchanged jabs, with an immigration fight between Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz getting particularly vicious.
The debate reached its peak audience between 10:00-10:30 p.m. ET, with 14.6 million people watching. It was also the highest-rated debate this year among adults aged 25-54.
In August, Fox News' first Republican primetime debate rocked cable television history, drawing in 24 million viewers -- the highest non-sports telecast for a cable network ever.
CBSN, the network's 24/7 online streaming service, also smashed records this week, with 5.1 million streams across all its platforms. It was the most-watched week yet for the digital channel.