Tuesday night's Democratic debate in South Carolina on CBS and BET delivered 15.8 million viewers, according to early numbers from Nielsen Media Research.

The total number represents a viewership drop-off of more than 20 percent from last week's Democratic Debate in Nevada, which marked the first time former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg Michael BloombergTop Democratic super PAC launches Florida ad blitz after Bloomberg donation The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Latest with the COVID-19 relief bill negotiations The Memo: 2020 is all about winning Florida MORE was on the debate stage.

However, Tuesday's chaotic event from Charleston still ranks among the most-watched debates of the 2019-2020 primary season.

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The most-watched primary debate ever occurred on Fox News in August 2015, when more than 24 million people watched then-candidate Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE in his first debate.

CBS moderators on Tuesday were on the receiving end of pointed criticism from both the left and right for not stopping the candidates from speaking over one another and continuing to make arguments well past their allotted time.

the moderators have lost complete control of this debate — Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) February 26, 2020

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The candidates have figured out the moderators are not in charge. — Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) February 26, 2020

When the candidates start talking over each other, the moderators should:

1) Bring the whole thing to a dead halt

2) Give them an order in which to speak ("you, then you senator, then you Mr. Mayor," etc.)

Not complicated. You have to keep control. — Errol Louis (@errollouis) February 26, 2020

The South Carolina primary is Saturday, just days before 15 states head to the polls for Super Tuesday.