October 30, 2008 Obama infomercial draws 33.5 million viewers

(NECN) - Nielsen reports that Sen. Barack Obama's infomercial on seven networks Wednesday night drew 33.5 million U.S. viewers.

The simulcast — the first of its kind since a Ross Perot telecast in 1996, aired on CBS, FOX, NBC, Univision, BET, MSNBC, and TV One between 8pm and 8:30pm EST.

Perot’s 1996 telecast drew almost 22.7 million viewers.

On an average Wednesday night, these networks draw a combined average of 30.3 million average viewers during the that half-hour daypart.

In a press release, Nielsen notes that "in comparison, the final debate between the two presidential candidates drew 56.5 million U.S. viewers on October 15. The candidates’ first debate on September 26 drew 52.4 million viewers; their second debate, on October 7, drew 63.2 million viewers."