(VOVworld) - The Republican candidates' prime-time debate on Fox News Channel drew 24 million viewers, more than double the prior record for a presidential primary debate and the highest non-sports telecast in cable TV history, according to Nielsen data released on Friday.

Ten Republican 2016 U.S. presidential candidates (Photo: Reuters)

The participation of billionaire Donald Trump, who dominated news coverage in recent weeks, and the large pool of candidates participating in the debate - 10 - had spiked interest. An earlier debate Thursday on Fox News Channel featured the other seven Republican candidates, whose low polling numbers kept them out of the prime-time debate. That debate averaged 6.1 million viewers.