LOS ANGELES (REUTERS) - Almost 21 million Americans watched the One World: Together At Home global special on Saturday (April 18) in support of frontline workers battling the coronavirus pandemic, according to Nielsen data released on Monday.

Nielsen said that the two-hour concert, which featured appearances and performances from their homes by multiple celebrities including Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, the Rolling Stones, Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce, was aired on 26 American television networks.

The event, the biggest celebrity effort during the coronavirus outbreak, was viewed by an estimated 20.7 million viewers in the United States, Nielsen said. Audience numbers in other nations and on streaming platforms were not available.

The concert, organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and non-profit Global Citizen, raised some US$127 million (S$181 million) from corporations and philanthropists for the work of the WHO's Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Members of the public were not asked to donate but were encouraged to practise social distancing and avoid handshaking and to show their appreciation for healthcare, grocery, delivery, transport and other workers.

Saturday's two-hour broadcast special was preceded by a six-hour streaming event which featured musicians and other celebrities from as far apart as Asia and the Middle East.