The huge national audience that tuned in to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire on Tuesday night -- the show posted a 14.0 rating and a 22 share -- stayed around afterwards for the presidential debate, giving ABC a notable win over its rivals for the debate coverage. ABC's telecast of the debate garnered an 11.9/18, far ahead of CBS's 8.4/13.

Fox, which opted out of debate coverage in favor of the two-hour series premiere of James Cameron's Dark Angel, actually bested the CBS telecast, drawing an 11.2/17. NBC, carrying the American League divisional playoff game between the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics -- 16 of its owned stations and affiliates went with the debate -- wound up in fourth place with a 6.1/9.

Source: Studio Briefing