More than 71 million people tuned in to election coverage from 8 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to Nielsen Media Research.
Nationally, ABC was the most watched, but in the Tampa market CNN was tops.

From 8 to 11 p.m. an estimated 216,000 viewers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg television market were watching CNN while NBC (WFLA) averaged 181,000 viewers; Fox News Channel had 178,000; the Fox News coverage on WTVT, Channel 13, averaged 117,000; MSNBC 101,000; ABC (WFTS) 98,000; and CBS (WTSP) 91,000.

The audience, spread over four major broadcast networks and numerous cable channels, was higher than the 2000 and 2004 elections.

An estimated 59 million watched George W. Bush defeat John Kerry in 2004, and 61 million people watched the mangled and confusing 2000 election results pour in.

ABC was the most-watched this time (8-11 p.m.), with a 4.7 rating and 10 share in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic and 13.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. 

NBC was a very close second with a 4.7 rating and 10 share in the 18-to-49 demo but was second in the 25-to-54 demo and in total viewers, where it drew 13.1 million people.

CBS was third among the broadcasters but fell below CNN and Fox News Channel with a 2.5 rating and 5 share in the demo and 8 million total viewers.  The broadcast coverage carried on Fox affiliates (anchored by Shepard Smith) finished fourth with a 2.2 rating and 4 share and 5.36 million total viewers.

The numbers were up over 2004 for ABC and Fox. CBS and NBC lost double-digit percentages of viewers compared with 2004.

In cable ratings, CNN had the most total viewers with 12.3 million and also won easily in the 25-to-54 demo, the network’s target, pulling in 5.8 million demo viewers. CNN came close to broadcast leaders ABC and NBC in both the demo and total viewers.

Fox News was second in both categories, drawing just more than 9 million viewers and nearly 4 million demo viewers. That would be the most demo viewers and second most total viewers in the network’s history.

MSNBC finished third with nearly 5.9 million viewers, including 2.67 million in the demo. Despite the third-place overall finish, MSNBC moved into second from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., during which time Sen. John McCain conceded and President-elect Barack Obama gave his victory speech.