CNN Press Room

CNN Has All The Ratings Momentum In January

Narrows Gap with Fox News to Lowest in Years; Overtakes MSNBC in All Categories

CNN is Up +70% vs. Last Year; Fox News Declines Double-Digits, MSNBC Sheds Nearly 40% of its Audience

CNN Ranks #1 in Total Day and M-Su Primetime among 18-49

New Day Beats Morning Joe in Viewers and Demo; Brooke Baldwin Ranks #1 at 2pm and 3pm; Erin Burnett Grows 100%

CNN had all the ratings momentum in January, with the cable news network closing out the month firmly ahead of MSNBC in all key dayparts in both total viewers and the demo 25-54 rating and also narrowing the gap significantly with Fox News to the closest margin in six years (since January 2009).  CNN has now beaten MSNBC for the seventh straight month in Total Day among both demos, and in M-Su/M-F Primetime in the demo, the longest streak across these dayparts and demos in six years (since November 2008).  CNN (and HLN) are up from year-ago in all categories, with CNN posting the largest growth in cable news.  MSNBC is down double-digits in all three key dayparts among both demos, posting the largest declines.  Fox News is seeing double-digit losses in Total Day among both demos, and in M-Su/M-F Prime among total viewers. CNN also ranked #1 in Total Day and M-Su Primetime among 18-49.

On weekday mornings, CNN’s New Day registered its highest ratings ever in January and posted its largest monthly share of the cable news morning audience since 2009.  The program also easily beat MSNBC’s Morning Joe, topping Joe for four straight months in total viewers and seven consecutive months among A25-54.  Fox and Friends posted its lowest delivery since 2001.

This month, CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin at 2pm and 3pm ranked #1 in the demo 25-54, beating Fox News’ Gretchen Carlson (2pm) and Shepard Smith Reporting (3pm). CNN’s weekday Primetime programs all registered enormous growth especially in the key demo (Outfront with Erin Burnett up +100%,  AC 360 up +81%, CNN 9pm programming up +91% and CNN Tonight up +47%) while Fox News was up single-digits (+4%) and MSNBC lost a whopping -45% of its weekday Primetime audience.  CNN’s D.C.-based and Sunday morning programming all posted significant growth and easily topped MSNBC this month.

CNN Original Series Morgan Spurlock Inside Man season three premiered this month with its highest rated episode ever in both total viewers and the demo. The premiere of CNN Films: Life Itself in January ranked #1 in cable news in its time period among both demos, more than doubling Fox News in 25-54 and MSNBC in total viewers.

CNN Beat MSNBC in All Key Day parts; Narrows Gap with Fox News:

Total Day (6a-6a): 

M-Su Primetime (8-11p)

Weekday Primetime M-F (8-11p)

Dayside (9a-4p)

Fox News

Hitting monthly lows:

o   M-F 10p hour: 2nd lowest P25-54 since Aug-01 (after May-14); lowest P2+ since May-04.

o   Across cable news versus year-ago, the only other network besides MSNBC exhibiting losses in Total Day and the M-F 10p hour among both P25-54 and P2+, and in M-Su/M-F Prime and the M-F 7p hour among P2+,

Weekday mornings from 6a-9a:

MSNBC

Experiencing monthly lows:

o   Total Day: 2nd lowest P25-54 since Jun-06 (after Oct-14); 3rd lowest P2+ since Dec-07.

o   M-Su Prime: 2nd lowest P25-54 since Jun-06 (after Oct-14); 2nd lowest P2+ Dec-07 (after Oct-14).

o   M-F Prime: 2nd lowest P25-54 Jul-06 (after Oct-14);

o   M-F 8p hour: 3rd lowest P25-54 since Aug-05.

o   M-F 9p hour: 2nd lowest P25-54 since Oct-07 (after Oct-14);

o   M-F 10p hour: 2nd lowest P25-54 since May-06 (after Oct-14); lowest P2+ since Apr-08.

o   Across cable news versus year-ago, the only network down across Total Day, M-Su/M-F Prime, and the individual M-F 7p-11p hours among both P25-54 and P2+.

Weekday mornings from 6a-9a:

  

CNN Program Highlights:

CNN Original Series Highlights:

The season three premiere of CNN Original Series Morgan Spurlock Inside Man posted its highest rated episode ever on Thursday, January 22 (9-10p) in the key demo (276k) and in total viewers (590k).  Inside Man ranked #2 in its time period, easily topping MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show in the demo (276k vs. 187k).

CNN Films:

 

Data is a blend of Nielsen Live+SD and the more inclusive Live+3 and final Live+7 data when available.

###