Coverage dated January 21, 2025

Estimated 24.6 million TV viewers watched inauguration coverage, smallest audience since 2013

Headline from WHEC Rochester

NEW YORK (AP) — An estimated 24.6 million television viewers watched President Donald Trump's second inauguration, the smallest audience for the quadrennial ceremony since Barack Obama's second inauguration in 2013.

WHEC Rochester's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

Read the reports

Reports & sources

9 articles, oldest first.

Variety
Trump Inauguration Ratings: 24.6 Million Viewers, Down From Both 2021 and 2017 (opens Variety)
Published Jan 21, 2025
Variety's feed description
24.6 million viewers watched Donald Trump's second presidential inauguration, down 27% from 2021 and 21% from 2017.
WHEC Rochester
Estimated 24.6 million TV viewers watched inauguration coverage, smallest audience since 2013 (opens WHEC Rochester)
Published Jan 21, 2025
WHEC Rochester's feed description
NEW YORK (AP) — An estimated 24.6 million television viewers watched President Donald Trump's second inauguration, the smallest audience for the quadrennial ceremony since Barack Obama's second inauguration in 2013.
Los Angeles Times
Trump inauguration draws 24.6 million viewers, a steep drop from 2021 and 2017 (opens Los Angeles Times)
Published Jan 21, 2025
Los Angeles Times's feed description
Fox News was the most-watched network for the event while MSNBC topped CNN for inauguration coverage for the first time.
The Hollywood Reporter
TV Ratings: Trump’s Second Inauguration Down From 2017 (and 2021) (opens The Hollywood Reporter)
Published Jan 21, 2025
The Hollywood Reporter's feed description
The TV audience for Donald Trump's second inauguration as president was down from his first, and from Joe Biden's in 2021.
Fox News
Over 10 million viewers watched Fox News' Inauguration coverage, crushing all other networks (opens Fox News)
Published Jan 21, 2025
Fox News's feed description
Fox News Channel was the most-watched news network during President Trump's historic inauguration, topping more than 10 million total viewers on Monday.
The Guardian
TV viewing figures fall for Trump’s inauguration (opens The Guardian)
Published Jan 21, 2025
The Guardian's feed description
Six million fewer US viewers tuned in than for his first inauguration – and nine million fewer people than for Biden in 2021
Deadline
Donald Trump’s Inauguration TV Viewership Falls From 2021 And 2017; Fox News Wallops Competition (opens Deadline)
Published Jan 21, 2025
Deadline's feed description
Donald Trump's inauguration drew 24.59 million viewers versus 3.76 million for Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration and 30.64 million for Trump's in 2021.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.