#1 in Primetime: +17% Advantage Over Fox News, Doubles MSNBC in Adults 25-54
Network Posts Highest Primetime Ratings Since November 2008
Fastest Growing Network in all of Cable in M-Su Prime
CNN dominated cable news in February, ranking #1 in primetime with a +17% advantage over second place Fox News among adults 25-54. Also this month, CNN posted its highest primetime ratings in both total viewers and the demo 25-54 since November 2008. CNN was the fastest growing network in all of cable this month in M-Su primetime, in both total viewers and the demo, growing triple digits from a year ago. CNN also handily topped MSNBC primetime in total viewers and doubled MSNBC ratings among adults 25-54 this month. CNN has now topped MSNBC in primetime in total viewers for the third consecutive month and for 20 months in the demo. In Total Day, CNN ranked #2 in cable news in both total viewers and adults 25-54, outperforming MSNBC for the 20th straight month in both demos.
** Even using the less inclusive Live+SD, CNN beats Fox News to rank #1 across cable news among adults 25-54 in both M-Su Prime (500k vs. 426k) and M-F Prime (608k vs. 509k).
February Programming:
Dayside:
- CNN dayside (9a-4p) programs all ranked #2 in February among total viewers and in the demo with CNN posting a +32% advantage over MSNBC (618k vs. 467k) and a +39% lead in the demo (140k vs. 101k) in the daypart. MSNBC ranked #3.
Late Afternoons:
- The Lead with Jake Tapper (4pm) ranked #2 in cable news, easily topping MSNBC in both total viewers (727k vs. MSNBC’s 492k) and the demo (155k vs. 99k). The Lead grew +23% in total viewers and +7% in adults 25-54 from a year ago.
- The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (5-7pm) ranked #2 in cable news besting MSNBC in both total viewers (774k vs. MSNBC’s 587k) and in the demo (205k vs. 113k). The Situation Room was up in both total viewers (+30%) and in the demo (+17%) vs. a year ago.
Primetime:
- CNN beat MSNBC during M-F primetime hours at 7pm, 8pm and 10pm among adults 25-54 for the 20th straight month, the longest streak in nearly 16 years (since April 2000).
- Erin Burnett Outfront (7pm) ranked #2 in the demo (236k), topping MSNBC’s Hardball (180k) by +31%. EBOF was up +32% vs. a year ago in total viewers and +17% in the demo 25-54.
- Anderson Cooper 360 ranked #2 in both total viewers (1.077m) and the demo (301k) easily topping MSNBC’s Chris Hayes (842k/193k). AC 360 was the highest-rated CNN primetime news program. AC 360 grew +69% in total viewers and +49% in the demo compared to last year. CNN has now topped MSNBC in total viewers for the fifth straight month and in the demo for the 20th consecutive month at 8p.
- CNN Tonight with Don Lemon ranked #2 in the demo (228k), topping MSNBC (206k). CNN has now beaten MSNBC at 10pm for the 20th straight month in the important key demo 25-54. The Lemon-led program was up +45% in total viewers and +30% among 25-54 vs. last year.
Saturdays:
- New Day Saturday ranked #2 in both the 7a and 8a hours in total viewers. MSNBC ranked 4th and 3rd respectively.
- Smerconish (9am) ranked #2 in total viewers (694k vs. MSNBC’s 392k), growing +16% and among 25-54 (168k vs. MSNBC’s 97k), up +9% vs. a year ago.
- CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield ranked #2 on Saturday afternoons, easily topping MSNBC in both total viewers and in the demo.
- CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow ranked #2 during the 3-6pm hours in total viewers in February.
Sundays:
- Inside Politics with John King (8-9a) ranked #2 in both total viewers (689k) and the demo (199k). MSNBC ranked 3rd among total viewers and 4th in the demo. The Sunday, 8a hour grew +60% in total viewers and +63% in the demo from last year.
- State of the Union with Jake Tapper ranked #2 on Sundays at 9am increasing an impressive +92% in total viewers (837k) and +116% among adults 25-54 (238k). SOTU was #1 at noon in the key demo 25-54, averaging 218k, +46% vs. a year ago. The Tapper-led program ranked #2 in total viewers (941k) at noon, increasing +51% compared to last year.
- Fareed Zakaria GPS (10am) ranked #2 in total viewers (854k) up +43%, vs. year ago and in the demo 25-54 (224k) up +37%. At 1pm, GPS was also #2, averaging 801k, up +43% in total viewers vs. year ago, and 173k among adults 25-54, up +30%.
- Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (11am) ranked #2 in cable news, growing double-digits vs. a year ago in total viewers (788k, +30%) and in the demo 25-54 (205k, +20%).
Town Halls:
- CNN produced two GOP Town Halls this month, with each one ranking #1 in cable news in their time periods in total viewers and among adults 25-54 and 18-34. The network also had two Democratic Town Halls in February, with the first one ranking #1 in total viewers, adults 25-54 and 18-34 and the one after that, #1 among adults 25-54 and 18-34 among cable news in their time periods.
Debates:
- A combined 8.05 million watched the PBS NewsHour Democratic Primary that was also simulcast on CNN. Among adults 25-54, 2.3 million watched. This was the first time that two networks teamed up to simulcast a debate. The simulcast ranked #1 in cable news in its time period among both demos. (Live+SD)
- A combined 14.3 million watched the CNN/Telemundo Republican Debate. Among adults 25-54, 4.6 million watched. This was the highest ranking primary debate of 2016 among both demos. CNN’s Texas debated ranked #1 in cable news in its time period. (Live+SD)
CNN sister network HLN is also experiencing YOY double-digit increases in Prime and Total Day.
- In Prime (M-Su), HLN is up +15% in P2+ (370k vs. 323k) and +8% in P25-54 (122k vs. 113k);
- In Total Day, HLN is up +16% in P2+ (329k vs. 284k) and +5% in P25-54 (129k vs. 123k);
- HLN’s popular morning news show, “Morning Express with Robin Meade” (M-F, 6-9a) is experiencing its highly monthly P2+ delivery since July 2011 up +28% (331k vs. 258k) and +5% in P25-54 (137k vs. 130k).
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