The 2020 presidential debatesmsy be of the most highly anticipated political events in recent history. Tuesday night's debate is likely to attract an audience of nearly 100 million unique viewers.

Nielsen reported the 2016 presidential debates averaged 84 million viewers, but 2020 is expected to blow that number out of the water. With the highly anticipated event closing in, here is everything you need to know about the first presidential debate:

When is it?

The first of three presidential debates will take place in Cleveland at the Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic.

Who is moderating?

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace is to moderate the event. Fox News has been criticized for its biased coverage of Trump and his presidency. With fears mounting of a lopsided debate and an attack on Biden, Wallace is seen as a relatively independent and straight journalist.

Wallace won praise for an interview with Trump in July when he challenged the president over the coronavirus death count and memorably dug into Trump’s claim to have aced a cognitive test.

How can I watch the debate?

All major US networks are airing the debate and most news channels. ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and NBC are among those that will carry it live. Most of those networks will also offer live coverage online. The Guardian is among the other websites that plan to stream the debate and offer live coverage, fact-checking and analysis.

You can watch the debate here or below:

How are Trump and Biden preparing?

Biden: The former vice president has spent days preparing, and has held mock debates with Bob Bauer, a campaign adviser and former White House general counsel, ABC News reported. Bauer reportedly adopted Trump’s debate style for the practice sessions.

Biden released a snippet of his debate strategy at a campaign fundraiser. His approach includes focusing on the facts, explaining his agenda to voters and pointing out promises Trump made but failed to fulfill. Biden added he does not want to engage in a shouting match with Trump.

Biden's stick-to-the-facts plan against Trump will hit topics including COVID-19, the economy and the tax evasion allegations. Biden’s campaign said it doesn’t want to waste valuable time fact-checking the president unless a Trump statement is particularly egregious.

Trump: Trump used flashcards and videos to prepare, an unusual approach for a candidate preparing for a live debate, CBS News reported. Trump also noted Rudy Giuliani and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie helped him prepare. Trump aides studied Biden’s debate habits and created an arsenal of material for Trump to use.

Trump reportedly plans to rely on insults and rapid-fire responses to counter Biden. The president hopes to expose Biden's more liberal positions, such as his support for the Green New Deal, in hopes of softening the former vice president’s support among more moderate voters. Senior Republicans said Trump’s main objective is to keep Biden on defense and not spend too much time in back-and-forths over the president's first-term record and COVID-19.

What topics will be covered?

Wallace was in charge of selecting the six topics, and they were announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates last week:

  • The records of President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden
  • The supreme court
  • COVID-19
  • The economy
  • Race and violence in our cities
  • The integrity of the election

What comes next?

The next debate will be held between Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice president nominee Sen. Kamala Harris on Oct. 7 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Trump and Biden meet again Oct. 15 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami and for a third time at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

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