Obama Bushwhacks W.

President's speech on the economy draws 52.4 million, towering over George W. Bush's first Congressional address in 2001

Bushwhacked: President Obama's economic pep talk scored 52.4 million viewers last night on 10 broadcast and cable networks, Nielsen estimated this afternoon. The audience topped the 49.5 million Obama drew for a Feb. 9 prime-time press conference, and blew away the 39.8 million George W. Bush attracted for a similar 2001 address. 

FYI: Bush's speech was carried on three fewer networks than Obama's; Obama's was carried on six more networks than Bill Clinton's 1993 address—and still came up 14.5 million viewers short. Clinton's 66.9 million is the most on Nielsen record for any State of the Union (or State of the Union-esque) address.

Its Audience Is Its Audience, However Small That May Be: Even going head-to-head with Obama, the season finale of Privileged matched its season average: 1.6 million.

Etc.: NCIS (17.9 million) drew the biggest single crowd; thanks to NCIS, CBS News drew the biggest single Obama crowd (10.5 million). Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal did a great imitation of Worst Week, blowing 38 percent of his Obama lead-in. In the 10 p.m. (ET) half-hour, the designated Republican and postspeech analysis scored 20.9 million viewers on the big four networks.

(Originally published Feb. 25, 2009 at 12:15 p.m. PT)