Democrats beat Republicans in first night TV convention audience

U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump pauses while speaking at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Keane

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democrats beat Republicans in U.S. television ratings, according to Nielsen data released on Tuesday for the first night of the Democratic National Convention.

An estimated 26 million people watched Monday evening between 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, when first lady Michelle Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders were among the key speakers, Nielsen said. The data represents people watching across seven broadcast and cable TV networks.