MSNBC, CNN lose nearly half of viewers since election night

NEW NIELSEN DATA SHOWS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN VIEWERSHIP FOR MSNBC AND CNN FOLLOWING THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. 

IN THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 24TH, MSNBC’S PRIMETIME AUDIENCE FELL BY 53%, DROPPING FROM 1.34 MILLION VIEWERS THE WEEK BEFORE THE ELECTION TO JUST 632,000. 

THIS IS PART OF A BROADER TREND ACROSS CABLE NEWS NETWORKS, WITH CNN ALSO EXPERIENCING A MASSIVE DECLINE, FALLING 47% FROM 754,000 TO 398,000 VIEWERS.

FOR MSNBC, THE RATINGS DECLINE HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY PRONOUNCED FOR ITS TOP ANCHOR, RACHEL MADDOW. 

SINCE NOVEMBER 5TH, HER SHOW HAS SEEN A 41% DROP IN TOTAL VIEWERS, WITH A 50% DECREASE IN THE KEY 25-54 DEMOGRAPHIC. 

ON MONDAY, MADDOW’S SHOW HAD ITS LOWEST VIEWERSHIP OF THE YEAR AND WORST PERFORMANCE IN THE KEY DEMOGRAPHIC SINCE 2015.

MSNBC’S “MORNING JOE” HAS ALSO TAKEN A HIT, WITH 37% OF ITS AUDIENCE DISAPPEARING SINCE THE ELECTION.

INTERNALLY, THE NETWORK IS FACING UNCERTAINTY. 

LAST WEEK, PARENT COMPANY COMCAST ANNOUNCED PLANS TO SPIN OFF MSNBC AND OTHER CABLE CHANNELS NEXT YEAR. 

THAT NEWS HAS LED TO CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL LAYOFFS AND RESTRUCTURING –

WITH SOME EMPLOYEES WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE NETWORK. 

DESPITE THESE CHALLENGES, SOME INSIDE MSNBC TOLD THE NEW YORK POST THE VIEWERSHIP DROP IS TEMPORARY – 

AND MAY RECOVER IN THE NEW YEAR AFTER THE INAUGURATION.

WHILE IT’S COMMON FOR NEWS NETWORKS TO LOSE VIEWERS AFTER MAJOR EVENTS LIKE ELECTIONS, FOX NEWS IS THE OUTLIER –

AND HAS EXPERIENCED A SURGE IN POPULARITY, WITH VIEWERSHIP INCREASING 32% SINCE ELECTION NIGHT. 

IT REMAINS THE DOMINANT CABLE NEWS NETWORK, ESPECIALLY AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S VICTORY. 

ON ELECTION NIGHT, FOX LED WITH 10 MILLION PRIMETIME VIEWERS –

FOLLOWED BY MSNBC WITH 6 MILLION –

AND CNN WITH 5.1 MILLION. 

FOX’S VIEWERSHIP HAS CONTINUED TO CLIMB, REACHING 3.2 MILLION, AN 86% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.

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