Nielsen reported today that 19.3 million Americans watched at least a portion of the 12-12-12 concert telethon for Hurricane Sandy victims Wednesday. The benefit is the most widely distributed live musical event in history, with almost 2 billion people worldwide able to access the event on TV, radio and online. The 4½-hour telecast aired on 15 networks in the U.S., with the average audience at any given moment topping out at 5.2 million viewers. The show, which featured Hollywood celebs and a musical lineup that included the Rolling Stones, The Who, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul McCartney jamming with Nirvana, was put together by Harvey Weinstein’s the Weinstein Company, John Sykes’ Clear Channel and James Dolan’s Madison Square Garden Co, whose New York arena hosted the show. Proceeds benefited the Robin Hood Relief Fund.
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