It may not be in the "American Idol" stratosphere, but the verbal fisticuffs between Democratic presidential hopefuls
Barack Obama and
Hillary Clinton gave ABC a fighting chance against Fox's juggernaut on April 16.
The latest Obama vs. Clinton bout ranked as the most-watched debate of the campaign so far, even as the politicos competed with an "Idol" elimination round in its second hour. The battling Dems also lay claim to the second- and third-highest-rated debates on the trail so far.
- 10.7 million: audience for ABC's April 16 debate in Philadelphia
- 23.3 million: audience for April 16 edition of "American Idol"
- 9.4 million: audience for ABC's Jan. 5 debate in New Hampshire
- 8.3 million: audience for CNN's Jan. 31 debate in Los Angeles
Contact Cynthia Littleton at
cynthia.littleton@variety.com