Approximately 23 million people across American tuned in to watch Prince William, the eldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, marry Kate Middleton, the daughter of self-made millionaires on Friday, according to data obtained by Nielsen Co.
To put that number in prospective, the inauguration of President Obama drew about 38 million viewers and the 2011 Super Bowl drew 111 million viewers. Coverage was carried live from on 11 US news networks, beginning as early as 4 AM. Among the broadcast and cable networks carrying the wedding broadcast live: ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, BBC American, CNN, E!, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, and TLC. The TV Guide Network even enlisted foul-mouthed funnygal Kathy Griffin to host a royal-themed comedy special about the events of the day.
A total of 3 billion people worldwide watched Wills and Kate become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Viewers all over the world held parties and special events in honor of the festivities, with some fans staying up all night to celebrate in local bars. The nups became one of the most-watched TV broadcasts in the UK, with more than 24 million viewers tuning in. Our friends to the North, it seems, were just a little less interested. Only about 38% of Canadians (or 12 million people) watched some portion of Friday’s Royal Wedding.