Check Out How Many People Watched Minnesota’s Chauvin Verdict

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The reading of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial here in Minnesota Tuesday was watched by a LOT of people across the country!

Not that it's a surprise, but according to new audience estimates there were a LOT of eyeballs glued to the screen when the verdict was read that convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd Tuesday afternoon.

The buzz was palpable here in Minnesota and across the country late Tuesday afternoon when we got word that the jury deliberating those three charges against Derek Chauvin in the George Floyd murder case had reached a verdict.

Many of us watched the verdict as it was announced by Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill live on our phones or mobile devices, watching various live streams direct from the Hennepin County Government Center in Minneapolis.

And according to ABC News, we know just HOW many were watching across the country: at least 23.2 million Americans. That's the word from the Neilsen company, which measured how many people were tuned into the 11 different television networks that carried the proceedings live as they happened.

The story also noted that the number of people who watched live is most likely higher, seeing as the verdict reading was also carried on ESPN as well, which wasn't included in the survey.

However, I'm guessing the total number is even bigger than that, seeing as the Nielsen survey only measures broadcast TV-- and doesn't account for people who watched the verdict live stream on other non-broadcast platforms. (Like the Quick Country 96.5 app, for instance.) My wife and I were in her office at our house and watched the live stream of the verdict on her computer, like many of us probably did late Tuesday afternoon.

Just for some perspective, 23.2 million is a LOT of people, but it's still quite a bit lower than, say, the 2021 Super Bowl (Super Bowl LV) which had over 96 million people tune in, according to CNBC. (And that was the lowest-rated Super Bowl in several years.) However, it's over two times more people than the 9.9 million people The Wrap says watched the 2021 ACM Awards last Sunday, though-- which was also the lowest-rated since 2007.

In case you didn't see it-- or if you want to see it again-- check out the video below to see what it looked like when the verdict was read. And, while the verdict was BIG news here in Minnesota, the weather is oftentimes a BIG topic here as well. So, keep scrolling after the video to check out the 11 biggest weather disasters that have happened here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes!

Listen to Curt St. John mornings from 6 to 10 on Quick Country 96.5
and afternoons from 2 to 6 on 103.9 The Doc