Just over 31 million people in the United States watched the Michael Jackson memorial on television.
Nielsen Media Research says that’s a smaller audience than for Princess Diana’s funeral or President Barack Obama’s inauguration, but it’s still impressive in today’s TV world. Millions more watched video streams on their computers.
The Jackson memorial on Tuesday afternoon was carried live on some 18 different networks, including all the big broadcasters and cable news stations.
By comparison, President Obama’s inauguration in January had an audience of nearly 38 million. Nielsen says 33.2 million people in the U.S. watched Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.