The numbers on convention viewership

The huge reach and record audiences for this year's political conventions is being put into sharper relief this morning with a new report from Nielsen Media Research.

Its report found that nearly two thirds of all US households (73.2 million homes, or about 120 million people) tuned into at least one of the political conventions. Viewership levels for the two conventions were essentially tied, with about 15 percent of all households tuning into just the Republican National Convention, 15.7 percent to just the Democratic National Convention, and another 34 percent of all households watching both conventions.

Other findings:

Homes that watched both conventions were more likely to be headed by someone 65 years or older and more educated.

Homes that only tuned to the RNC were more likely to have higher incomes ($100,0000 plus), to have a larger household size (4 plus), to be white, to have a head of household with higher education (4 plus years of college), and aged 35-54.

Homes that only tuned in to the DNC were more likely to have a lower income ( under $20,000), to have a smaller household size (2), to be African American, and to have a head of household who is younger (under 35) and who has less education (1-3 years of college).

About one-fifth of the homes that only watched the DNC were headed by an African American, while 83.5 percent of the RNC-only homes were headed by someone who is white.

More than 70 percent of African-American homes tuned to at least one of the conventions, including 36 percent that tuned into both, a higher rate than any other ethnic groups. White homes had the second highest viewership to both conventions at 34.5 percent, and were the only ethnic group who were more likely to watch only the RNC than the DNC.