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 the Democratic Response.
Press Contact:
Lauren Pabst,
Nielsen
lauren.pabst@nielsen.com