NEW YORK (AP) — Only an estimated 24.6 million television viewers tuned in for President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the lowest audience for this quadrennial ceremony since Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013. According to the Associated Press, viewership has declined significantly from Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration which attracted 33.8 million viewers, and from Trump’s first inauguration in 2017, which had 30.6 million viewers.

Inauguration viewership has shown wide fluctuations over the past fifty years, with a peak at 41.8 million viewers for Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1981 and a low of 15.5 million for George W. Bush's second term start in 2004. The HuffPost notes that the protracted broadcast—lasting from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern—may have impacted the viewership numbers, as longer coverage traditionally results in viewers dropping off as time progresses.

During the prime swearing-in period from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Fox News Channel led viewership with 10.3 million viewers, followed by ABC at 4.7 million, NBC at 4.4 million, CBS at 4.1 million, CNN with 1.7 million, and MSNBC with 848,000 viewers. HuffPost reported that just four years earlier, 13.4 million viewers watched Biden's inauguration on CNN and MSNBC compared to 2.4 million on Fox News.

The declining numbers signal evolving audience preferences and shifting dynamics in news viewership, as traditional platforms compete with a myriad of digital alternatives.

For detailed insights on the changing landscape of viewership, refer to the Associated Press and HuffPost.