• by Wayne Friedman , January 29, 2016

Fox News Channel’s attempts to lure Donald Trump back into the latest Republican Presidential debate on Thursday night to foster continued high viewership didn’t work. His absence resulted in sharply lower comparative ratings.

Early results have the seventh Republican President Debate posting around a Nielsen preliminary 12.5 million viewers -- about half the Fox News Channel first debate programming in August, which scored 24 million. In September, CNN posted 23 million for the second debate in September.

Fox News tallied $2.6 million in advertising for the debate on the night, according to iSpot.tv. Marketers buying time in this debate included Audi, Sony Pictures’ “Risen,” Old Dominion Freight Line, Otezia, E*Trade,  FedEx, Liberty Mutual, Office Depot and Universal Pictures’ “Hail Caesar!”

CNN had a second debate on December 15 -- perhaps a more fair comparison, where it earned 18 million viewers.

Since then, Fox Business Network aired two GOP debates -- earning 13.5 million (November 10) and 11.1 million (January 14), respectively. But analysts note that FBN isn’t as widely distributed as bigger cable news networks, such as CNN and Fox News.

Donald Trump sat out the latest debate because of his belief that he had been being treated unfairly by Fox News moderator/anchor Megyn Kelly in the first debate.

Trump did appear on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” on Wednesday night, with Bill O’Reilly making a last-ditch effort to get Trump back on the debate. That effort pulled in a Nielsen 3.8 million viewers.

Some reports suggest Trump might have reconsidered if Fox News contributed $5 million to its veterans via Trump veterans event held on Thursday in Iowa.