The first edition of the show hosted by Kristen Welker was highly criticized by observers for her interview of current GOP presidential candidate frontrunner Donald Trump.
Only the Denver Nuggets' series-clinching victory over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals (13.08 million) topped the debate for the largest audience for a scheduled prime time event since the Academy Awards back in March.
Borrell Associates projects that figure will climb considerably over the next four years as the industry undergoes what it describes as a "great reshuffling."