When was the last time this many people stopped to watch a Televised event?

Tags: Inauguration, History, Gathering, Crowd Size, Historic Events
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Everyone where I work basically took off that whole hour leading up to and including the Obama speech. Amazing.

How many people were at the event? How many watched it on TV? What other event in our lifetimes compares? The only thing I can remember that compares is probably the OJ trial verdict. I remember that the whole country basically shut down for those few moments when the verdict was read.

What do you think?

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Type: Question • Score: 11 • Views: 295 • Replies: 18

All my friends around the different European cities watched it too. It truly
was - and is a historic moment we're experiencing here.

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What about the time when somebody shot J R Ewing?

Rolling Eyes

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@kickycan,

Ain't never gonna be numbers that come close to this. Absolutely the most watched even in history...my bet. THE most watched event in history.

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@Frank Apisa,

I wonder how it compares to the first moon landing? Certainly more people have access to TV nowadays, but the moon landing didn't have a single political party as it's center.

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@Green Witch,

Haven't watched any TV since the speech...but I'd be willing to bet this is the most watched even in history.

We'll know by later tonight.

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@kickycan,

Events that drew more media and people attention:

1. Happenings around the tragedies of 9/11
2. Tsunami on Dec 26, 2004 that killed 350,000 in Indian Ocean and So. Asia.
3. Hurricane Katrina and all events that followed
4. Presidential election of 2000 (Gore-Bush) and the ensuing coverage of the "stolen" election
5. Northridge (Reseda) Calif earthquake (pancaked freeway, etc.) jan 17, 1994

that being said, I was (and glued) to the coverage

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@Ragman,

You are sure of that Ragman...or you are just guessing like I was???

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Superbowl?

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@Frank Apisa,

Let me say it's an educated guess. I'd say with a fair amount of certainty that 9/11 drew more attention.

however, the romantic/poetic side of me says "the world has stopped to watch"

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@kickycan,

Princess Diana's Funeral...

lotta folk watched that...

LIVE AID!

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@Izzie,

November 1989 when the Wall fell and then wave of revolutions swept across Eastern Europe. I remember in Prague there were a few million people out on in the streets and a few more millions throughout other cities of Czechoslovakia (which only totalled 15 millions of inhabitants). It's fair to say that more than one third of entire population was out in the streets then, rest was glued to television sets.

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@kickycan,

I went home for lunch to watch. I don't usually do that.

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@kickycan,

No one did where I work - we have so much work as we had tons of layoffs so we have to do the same amount of work with less people.

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@boomerang,

Yeah, every year in late Jan/early Feb for Superbowl.

Probably every game 5/6/7 of the World Series.

Probably every Tues/Wed night to hear American Idol results.

Have any numbers been published yet.

No one at my work stopped to watch it.

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@kickycan,

idk maybe when they shot Kennedy. I think prolly everyone glued their eyes to the screen 24/7 just watching...

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I haven't confirmed, but driving in this morning on the radio they were discussing this subject. The DJs claimed that the Regean inauguration had a greater TV audience and that American Idol had more than either of these.

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@Linkat,

You got me curious so I looked it up. This is how the people who do this kind of stuff call it:

Inaugurations:
Reagan - 41Million
Obama - 38 Million
GWBush - 15Million

American Idol fluctuates between 25-35 Million. Many people only watch the auditions.

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@Green Witch,

Those numbers make sense. I'm sure the numbers of viewers of first few days of 9/11 tragedy and Hurricane Katrina rate pretty highly, as well.

I had heard the same about AI watching habits. Many young people (18-30) tune in these days to online "watching" of AI results either by Youtube or various I-pod methods. Of late, the numbers are slightly dropping lower than had been a few years ago, but still upwards of 32 M for the finals. I think much of the peak audience actually watches the finals, not the auditions.

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When was the last time this many people stopped to watch a Televised event?

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