Key facts
- President Donald Trump's convention speech drew 2.5 million viewers on Fox News.
- Fox News was the only major cable network to carry Trump's full address.
- Trump urged voters to treat the November midterm elections as a referendum on him.
- Trump claimed the convention's viewership "beat the NFL" opening night.
U.S. President Donald Trump's speech on the opening night of the Republican midterm convention attracted approximately 2.5 million viewers on Fox News, according to Nielsen data. This figure potentially challenges Trump's claim that the event surpassed the viewership of the NFL's opening night.
Fox News was the sole major cable network to broadcast Trump's nearly two-hour address in its entirety. The network, controlled by the Murdoch family, averaged 2.5 million viewers during the speech. In comparison, MS NOW garnered 1 million viewers and CNN had 441,000 viewers in the same time window.
During the convention, Trump urged voters to consider the upcoming November midterm elections as a referendum on his presidency. He encouraged supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" during the two-day gathering, which launched what Republicans hope will be a campaign focused on galvanizing the party's base and replicating the turnout from his 2016 and 2024 election victories.
On Thursday, Trump posted on Truth Social that the convention was "far bigger, better, and more important than anyone thought possible" and asserted that "the overall numbers beat the NFL," without providing specific figures or methodology. The convention occurred concurrently with the NFL season opener between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. While ratings for the game are not yet available, the NFL averaged approximately 18 million viewers per game last season, with the previous year's opener drawing close to 28 million viewers.