MSNBC experienced a substantial ratings decline in the aftermath of the 2024 election, losing roughly half its average viewership. This was followed by a noticeable rebound during the week of President Trump’s inauguration. The network witnessed a more than 60% increase in ratings compared to pre-election levels, reaching 1.3 million primetime viewers. While still slightly below its pre-election average of 1.34 million, this represents a significant recovery.
The return of Rachel Maddow's show to a five-night-a-week schedule for the first 100 days of the Trump administration contributed to this upswing, averaging around 1.7 million viewers. This contrasts sharply with CNN’s “The Source with Kaitlan Collins,” which averaged 745,000 viewers during the same period.
However, not all segments saw positive growth. MSNBC experienced a 34% decrease in average total day viewers (506,000), and CNN saw a 9% drop (421,000). Fox News, conversely, saw a 53% increase to 1.92 million viewers. In the adults 25-54 demographic, MSNBC trailed behind CNN and Fox.
Election night itself saw record-breaking numbers across all three networks, with Fox News leading with 10 million viewers. Remarkably, MSNBC surpassed CNN for the first time in its history, garnering 6 million viewers compared to CNN’s 5.1 million. Initial data indicated a slight drop in Fox News’ primetime ratings, but updated figures showed a rise to 2.8 million viewers, while CNN and MSNBC recorded 522,000 and 734,000 respectively.
In conclusion, while preliminary data showed a significant decline, MSNBC has largely regained its audience. CNN, on the other hand, continues to struggle, highlighting the dynamic nature of television news ratings and the impact of major political events and programming decisions.