Trump-Clinton showdown breaks TV record

A record 84 million viewers in the US watched the fiery face-off between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during their first Presidential debate, breaking a previous record set 36 years ago.

The Presidential debate between Democratic nominee Clinton and her Republican rival Donald Trump on Monday was watched by 84 million people on US TV networks. The previous record for a Presidential debate viewership was 80.6 million between incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter and his Republican rival Ronald Reagan in 1980.

The viewing figures only count those who watched the debate on the 13 US TV channels that carried it live, meaning the true figure may be much higher, media reports said.

Millions are also thought to have watched worldwide through online live streams or in bars and at parties.

The data provider Nielsen said that viewers stayed tuned through the 98-minute debate held at Hofstra University in Hempstead. Mr Trump told supporters on Tuesday that he knew the debate would have “one of the largest audiences in the history of television” but he “took a deep breath” and “pretended I was talking to my family”. In 2015, the NFL’s Super Bowl won the biggest US TV audience to date when 114.4 million people watched New England play Seattle.

There are two more Presidential debates to come between the candidates — on 9 October and 19 October — before the election on November 8.

Meanwhile, MS Clinton said she felt the debate had highlighted important differences between her and Mr Trump.

“His demeanour, his temperament, his behaviour on the stage could be seen by everybody and people can draw their own conclusions,” the 68-year-old former secretary of state said.