The memorial service for the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk drew an impressive audience, with around 20 million people tuning in via cable and online platforms.
According to figures from YouTube and X, Kirk’s channel alone racked up 7.49 million views, while his X account garnered 3.8 million impressions. Fox News’ YouTube live stream attracted 2.43 million views, and the Associated Press had 1.26 million views on its stream.
These numbers are just from four sources and don’t account for additional broadcasts on platforms like Rumble, Facebook, and Twitch, not to mention replays that are still being counted.
Initial Nielsen data indicated an average viewership of 5.37 million on cable from 1:30 to 7:15 PM ET.
Fox News Channel led the way with 4.79 million viewers, making it the most-watched network during the service.
CNN, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, came in second, attracting 330,000 viewers, while MSNBC, which is part of Comcast, had 251,000 viewers.
Fox News saw its peak viewer count nearly hit 6 million during Erika Kirk’s speech at 6 PM.
The key demographic of viewers aged 25-54, typically targeted by advertisers, showed 687,000 viewers for Fox News during the near six-hour broadcast.
In contrast, CNN had 48,000 in the same age group, and MSNBC pulled in 21,000 viewers.
Turning Point USA, the organization Kirks established, claimed that their global livestreams exceeded 100 million, although this figure hasn’t been verified independently.
The Glendale memorial, held at State Farm Stadium, lasted over five hours and featured various tributes and worship music, including remarks from President Trump.
Police estimates suggested that live attendees numbered around 100,000 within the stadium, with overflow areas and outdoor spaces also packed, although online viewer counts might tell a slightly different story.
Also noteworthy is the indication that Kirk’s murder could have led to a significant rise—over 60%—in primetime cable news averages, with adjustments impacting viewership figures.
