Nielsen: Obama-McCain Round Three Scores 38.3 HH Rating

The third and final presidential debate between contenders Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) had an overall household rating of 38.3 in Nielsen's 56 local meter markets. The audience for the Oct 15 debate was lower than the second debate (at 42.1) but higher than the first (at 34.7) on a Friday night in September. This time, the debate had some competition from the championship baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies, which aired on FOX. Baltimore had the largest TV audience with a 49.3 ratings, followed by Washington, D.C. (48.4). The Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto (CA) market had the lowest debate audience with 28.1