YouTube racks up the views thanks to second presidential debate

October 11, 2016

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One of the big beneficiaries of the second presidential debate that was held this past Sunday is YouTube. According to YouTube, the debate itself generated some huge gains in viewership numbers and the interest in Trump v. Clinton is rubbing off on content producers who are creating videos related to the election.

According to YouTube, since the debate on Sunday they have logged over 124 million views of the live debate and subsequent on-demand videos related to the debate. This is a 40 percent jump compared to the 88 million views generated by the first presidential debate this year. The numbers are even more impressive when compared to the second presidential debate from 2012. Concurrent viewers of the live event peaked at 1.5 million this time around, which was five times higher than in 2012. Total live watch hours came in at 2.5 million, which was a six times increase compared to 2012. YouTube also reported the average viewer watched 25 minutes of the debate.

In addition to the actual debate and subsequent views, commentary and comedy have proven to be very popular with YouTube viewers. Both Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live posted comedy sketches related to the presidential debate that were some of the weekend's most-viewed videos.

The final presidential debate is scheduled for Wednesday, October 19th and should generate more big numbers for YouTube.

source: YouTube

Jeff Causey Author

Raised in North Carolina, Jeff Causey is a licensed CPA in North Carolina. Jeff's past Android devices include an HTC EVO, a Samsung Note II, an LG G3, and a Motorola Moto X Pure Edition along with a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1. He currently uses a Samsung Galaxy S8 and (very rarely) a Nexus 7 (2013). He is also using a Verizon-branded Motorola Moto Z Play Droid supplied by his job. Jeff used to have a pair of Google Glass and a Moto 360 Sport in his stable of gadgets. Unfortunately, his kids have all drunk the Apple Kool-Aid and have i-devices. Life at home often includes demonstrations of the superiority of his Android based devices. In his free time, Jeff is active an active runner usually training for his next marathon, owns a Mazda MX-5 Miata, and plays Dungeons & Dragons. Jeff has three grown kids and a golden retriever.