Updated Thursday, Oct. 30, 2008.

Barack Obama's 30-minute infomercial -- estimated to cost $3.5-4 million -- is getting mostly rave reviews from the commentariat. But what do the voters think?

According to Nielson's ratings, they at least tuned in. Overall, 21.7 percent of households watching TV at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night were tuned to one of the six networks that aired the extended ad. Ross Perot, the last presidential candidate to run this type of longer pitch, garnered 16.8 percent of viewers with a spot on Election Day in 1992. The first presidential debate between Obama and John McCain received a 34.7 percent rating and the final debate 38.3 percent.

As for McCain's complaints that Obama was delaying the start of the World Series game, Phillies and Rays fans didn't seem to hold it against him -- the Philadelphia and West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, Fla., markets ranked second and third highest in the ratings, coming in just behind Baltimore.

UPDATE: Nielsen has reported that that 21.7 percent of households translates to 33.5 million viewers for Obama's ad. On an average Wednesday night, the networks on which the spot aired attract a combined 30.3 million viewers.