Just days after MSNBC managed to squeak by CNN in the election night ratings, its audience numbers took a nosedive, highlighting the network’s ongoing struggle to keep viewers hooked. While Thursday’s numbers were kinder to Fox News, which saw a hefty daily average of 2.6 million viewers (with 375,000 in the prized 25-54 age group), MSNBC trailed far behind, pulling in just 596,000 viewers and a mere 71,000 in the same demographic. Meanwhile, CNN, often the network for “breaking news,” didn’t fare much better, clocking in at 419,000 total viewers and 91,000 in the demo.
Fox, up an impressive 60 percent from last year, seemed to thrive as MSNBC and CNN faced losses of 23 and 40 percent, respectively. The prime-time hours told an even grimmer tale for these left-leaning networks. MSNBC hemorrhaged over half its audience, losing 54 percent compared to the same day last year, and CNN wasn’t much better off with a 30 percent drop. Alex Wagner on MSNBC hit rock bottom with her lowest-rated show ever, while Chris Hayes logged his worst numbers since 2016. Fox, meanwhile, had a field day on election night, bringing in an audience of over 10.3 million from 8 to 11 pm, cementing its spot as the reigning heavyweight in cable news.
Interestingly, MSNBC did manage a rare win over CNN on election night, with a respectable 6 million average viewers to CNN’s 5.1 million. CNN, whose audience once swarmed to it for breaking news coverage, saw its viewership nearly halved since the 2020 election, when it had raked in a whopping 9.6 million viewers.
This rapid viewership drop suggests some serious discontent among left-leaning viewers. With hopes of a Kamala Harris victory fading and Trump’s January return looming, it seems viewers are feeling the fatigue of politics as usual, leaving MSNBC with an empty room and fewer tuned-in loyalists.
Overall, it’s a clear sign of the changing tides in TV news. Even election night—a major draw for networks—saw 42.3 million viewers tuning into either broadcast or cable, down 25 percent from 2020. Those sticking to old-school cable news are increasingly in the minority, as more Americans ditch traditional networks for streaming and other alternatives. While Fox News may be thriving, MSNBC and CNN might want to brace themselves, because for them, the future of TV news looks like a long uphill battle.
