31.1 million in US watched Jackson memorial

NEW YORK: Just over 31 million people in the United States watched the Michael Jackson memorial on television.

Nielsen Media Research says that's a smaller audience than for Princess Diana's funeral or President Barack Obama's inauguration but it's still impressive in today's TV world. Millions more watched video streams on their computers.

The Jackson memorial on Tuesday afternoon was carried live on some 18 different networks, including all the big broadcasters and cable news stations.

By comparison, Obama's inauguration in January had an audience of nearly 38 million. Nielsen says 33.2 million people in the US watched Princess Diana's funeral in 1997.