Updated SOTU ratings data is in

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Final ratings data shows that 38.2 million people across the U.S. watched President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union March 1, 2022.

That’s up from the initial 37 million estimate and includes data from 16 networks but doesn’t include streaming, digital or other formats.

Biden’s speech reached a bit over 1 million more than Donald Trump’s final State of the Union that took place just before the pandemic started taking root in the U.S. in 2020.

Trump’s first three addresses, however, attracted between 45 and 48 million viewers.

Biden saw a marked a big increase over his joint address to congress in April 2021, which had 26.9 million viewers. Traditionally presidents deliver a speech in January of February of their first term, but it’s not officially billed as the State of the Union since they just took office. Biden’s first speech was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Interest is Biden’s speech was likely high — with the nation slowly removing pandemic protocols, the then escalating threat of invasion of Ukraine and stalled infrastructure legislation.