The idea of watching election night returns on television wasn't as appealing as it used to be. The Nielsen company said that 42.3 million people watched returns come in Tuesday, at least through 11 p.

Approximately 42.3 million viewers tuned in to primetime coverage of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election on Tuesday night, according to Nielsen data. The overall rating for the night was a 13.3, with approximately 28.

Despite all drama leading up to Election Day, Nielsen is reporting that viewing across 18 networks on election night was notably lower than 2020, with over 42 million viewers turned in between 7 p.m.