Michael Jackson received a homecoming fit for a king. Not only did friends, family and fans overwhelmingly pack LA’s Staples Center to pay their last respects, but 31.1 million U.S. viewers watched coverage of the public memorial service, according to Nielsen.

The memorial service was carried live from approximately 1p to 4p ET on 18 broadcast and cable networks with a combined household rating of 20.6. The participating networks were ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Telefutura, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, HLN, BET, E!, MTV, VH1, VH1 Classic, TV Guide Network and TV One. Jackson’s memorial coverage in the U.S. is on the heels of Princess Diana’s 1997 funeral, which totaled 33.2 million, and also behind Ronald Reagan’s funeral in 2004, which got 35 million viewers.

It still hasn’t registered in my brain yet, that Michael Jackson is gone. His presence, talent and humanitarianism will sincerely be missed. At least his contributions will live on.