NEW YORK - February 8, 2023 - An estimated 27.3 million people watched President Biden deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 7, according to Nielsen. Live coverage of the event aired on 16 television networks from approximately 9:00 PM to 10:22 PM ET.Of the 27.3 million people that watched the 2023 State of the Union address:
59% watched broadcast network coverage
41% watched coverage on cable networks
5% of viewers were aged 18-34
19% of viewers were aged 35-54
73% of viewers were aged 55 and older.
Viewing of the 2023 State of the Union address was down 29% compared to Biden's 2022 address, which brought in a total of 38.2 million viewers across 16 networks.
The chart below shows the sum of the average viewing audience for networks that aired coverage, including viewing data for households and various age demographics. The data is inclusive of U.S. audiences only.
2023 State of the Union address February 7, 2023 U.S. Television Audience Estimates
Sum of Networks, Live Same Day Total Number of Viewers Average Audience Rating
Persons 2 27,312,000 8.7
Households 20,002,000 16.1
Persons 18-34 1,464,000 2.1
Persons 35-54 5,264,000 6.6
Persons 55 19,833,000 20.0
Source: Nielsen, NNTV, Live SDTotal summary projections are expressed in units, rounded to the nearest thousand (000).
The data in this table is inclusive of broadcast and cable networks that aired this event, plus PBS. Networks included in audience estimates: Broadcast: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, NBCLX, TEL, UNI, PBSCable: CNBC, CNN, CNNe, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, NewsMax, NewsNation
NOTE 1: Out-of-home viewing and connected TV (CTV) viewing are included in the total figures for this advisory. Contribution from CTV viewing can be as much as 13% for news events. NOTE 2: Audience estimates for PBS do not include out-of-home contributions.
Historical State of the Union Audience Data U.S. Television Audience Estimates
Date Total Viewers P2 Combined HHLD Rating Included TV Networks President
2/7/2023 27,312,000 16.1 ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TEL, UNI, NBCLX, PBS, CNBC, CNN, CNNe, FBN, FOXNC, MSNBC, NewsMax, NewsNation Biden
3/1/2022 38,197,000 22.4 ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TEL, UNI, NBCLX, PBS, Black News Channel, CNBC, CNN, CNNe, FOXNC, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation Biden
4/28/2021* 26,936,000 16.5 ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, TEL, UNI, PBS, CNBC, CNN, CNNe, Fox Business Network, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation and Newsy Biden
2/4/2020 37,173,000 22.7 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel and MSNBC Trump
2/5/2019 46,789,000 28.0 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, PBS, CNN, CNNe, FOX Business, FOX News Channel and MSNBC Trump
1/30/2018 45,551,000 26.9 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Estrella, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, FOX Business, FOX News, MSNBC and PBS Trump
2/28/2017* 47,741,000 28.7 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UNI, PBS, CNN, Fox Business Net, FOXNC, MSNBC, and NBC Universo Trump
1/12/2016 31,334,349 19.6 ABC, Al Jazeera America, Azteca, CBS, CNN, FOX, FOX Business Network, FOX News Channel, Galavision, MSNBC, NBC, NBC Universo, Univision^ Obama
1/20/2015 31,710,349 19.9 ABC, Al Jazeera America, Azteca, CBS, CNN, Fox, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, Galavision, MSNBC, MundoFox, NBC, Univision^ Obama
1/18/2014 33,299,172 20.7 CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Azteca, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera America, Galavision, Mun2, UNI^ Obama
2/12/2013 33,497,607 21.8 FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Azteca, UNI, MFX, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Current, Centric, GALA Obama
1/24/2012 37,752,613 24 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, TF, UNI, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, GALA, MSNBC and MUN2 Obama
1/25/2011 42,789,947 26.6 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, Centric, CNBC, FOXNC, and MSNBC Obama
1/27/2010 48,009,595 29.8 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, BET, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC Obama
2/24/2009* 52,373,000 32.5 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION Obama
1/28/2008 37,515,000 24.7 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO^, UNIVISION G.W Bush
1/23/2007 45,486,000 29.6 ABC, CBS, FOX**, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO**, UNIVISION ** G.W Bush
1/31/2006 41,699,000 26.9 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC G.W Bush
1/31/2006 1,480,000 8.4 TELEMUNDO, AZTECA AMERICA, TELFUTURA, TELEMUNDO G.W Bush
2/2/2005 38,382,000 25.2 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC G.W Bush
2/2/2005 1,050,000 6 TELEMUNDO, TELEFUTURA G.W Bush
1/20/2004 43,411,000 28 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC G.W Bush
1/28/2003 62,061,000 38.8 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC G.W Bush
1/29/2002 51,773,000 33.6 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC G.W Bush
2/27/2001* 39,793,000 27.6 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC G.W Bush
1/27/2000 31,478,000 22.4 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC Clinton
1/19/1999 43,500,000 31 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC Clinton
1/27/1998 53,077,000 37.2 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC Clinton
2/4/1997 41,100,000 28.4 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN Clinton
1/23/1996 40,900,000 29.6 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN Clinton
1/24/1995 42,200,000 29.5 ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN Clinton
1/25/1994 45,800,000 32.9 ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN Clinton
2/17/1993* 66,900,000 44.3 ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN Clinton
Notes:
Beginning Dec. 26, 2005, estimates on this page include live viewing plus any time-shifted viewing within the same day (defined as 3AM-3AM).
*Feb. 17, 1993, Feb. 27, 2001, Feb. 24, 2009, Feb. 28, 2017, and Apr. 28, 2021 were officially Addresses to the Joint Sessions of Congress.
^Coverage was tape delayed, all other networks carried live.
**On Jan. 23, 2007, coverage of asterisked networks went beyond a common end time, and includes the State Of The Union Address and commentary. This does not include t
