CNN UP TRIPLE DIGITS IN PRIME TIME;
DAYSIDE POSTS HIGHEST RATINGS IN OVER FOUR YEARS
Narrows Gap with Fox News to Closest in Seven Years;
Dominates MSNBC in All Dayparts, Biggest Prime Time Margin in Eight Years
Race for the White House Most-Watched CNN Original Series Ever
CNN is #2 Network in ALL of Cable in March
CNN had its most-watched quarter in Total Day in seven years (since 1Q 2009) and best prime time since 4Q 2008 in total viewers and adults 25-54.
For the quarter (January-March) that ended on Sunday, CNN ranked #2 in cable news across every daypart (Total Day, M-Su and M-F prime time). CNN was the fastest growing Top 70 cable network in prime time, up triple-digits in total viewers (+162%) and adults 25-54 (+139%).
CNN’s 9am-4pm dayside programming also had its highest ratings in seven years among total viewers (since Q1 2009), with 51% more viewers than MSNBC (690k vs. MSNBC’s 458k) and highest ratings in more than four years (since Q2 2011) among adults P25-54 with 67% more viewers (167k vs. 100k).
CNN ranked #1 across cable news among adults 25-54 this quarter in both weekend Total Day and weekend prime time.
Of particular note, CNN narrowed the gap with Fox News to the closest it’s been in at least seven years in both total viewers and adults 25-54 in all three dayparts (Total Day, M-Su and M-F prime time).
Also this quarter, CNN posted its biggest quarterly total viewer advantage over MSNBC in prime time in eight years. CNN has now outperformed MSNBC in Total Day for eight straight quarters (total viewers and among 25-54). In prime time, CNN topped MSNBC for the seventh straight quarter in total viewers and for the eighth in prime. This is the longest quarterly streak since 4Q 2008.
Among ALL cable networks, CNN ranked #7 in M-F prime and #11 in M-Su prime in total viewers this quarter.
CNN FIRST QUARTER PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:
Mornings, Afternoons:
- CNN’S New Day (6-9am) had its most-watched quarter ever in both total viewers and among adults 25-54. New Day has topped or tied MSNBC’s Morning Joe among adults 25-54 for 18 of the last 21 months. This quarter, New Day grew vs. a year ago, increasing +26% in total viewers and +10% in the demo 25-54.
- The Lead with Jake Tapper (4pm) ranked #2 in cable news at 4pm, easily topping MSNBC in both total viewers (794k vs. MSNBC’s 487k) and the demo 25-54 (185k vs. 100k). The Lead grew +33% and + 19% compared to last year.
- The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (5-7pm) also had a very strong quarter, easily topping MSNBC in both total viewers and the demo. The Blitzer-led program was also up +40% in total viewers and up +24% in the demo 25-54 vs. a year ago.
Primetime:
- Erin Burnett Outfront (7pm): For the seventh straight quarter, Outfront beat MSNBC’s Hardball in the demo (253k vs. 183k). This represents the network’s highest total viewer delivery during this time period in seven years (since 1Q 2009). EBOF also grew the most in cable news at 7pm in total viewers, increasing +43% from a year ago. The program was also up +30% in the demo vs. last year.
- Anderson Cooper 360 (8pm) had its best total viewer and demo 25-54 delivery in over seven years (since 4Q 2008) this quarter. AC 360 ranked #2 in cable news, easily topping MSNBC’s All in with Chris Hayes in both total viewers (1.1 million vs. 897k) and in the demo (334k vs. 205k). CNN has now topped MSNBC for six of the last seven quarters in total viewers and for eight consecutive quarters among adults 25-54 at 8pm. AC 360 was up an impressive +83% in total viewers and +60% among adults 25-54.
- CNN programming at 9pm had its highest total viewer and demo 25-54 delivery in over six years (since 3Q 2009).
- CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (10pm) ranked #2 in cable news at 10pm among adults 25-54, with CNN now posting its eighth consecutive quarterly win over MSNBC at 10pm (260k vs. MSNBC’s 209k) . The Lemon-led show was also up +68% among total viewers and +51% in the demo 25-54.
Saturdays:
- New Day Saturday ranked #2 at 7am and 8am in both total viewers and among adults 25-54; growing every hour vs. last year. MSNBC ranked either 3rd or 4th.
- Smerconish (9am and 6pm) easily topped MSNBC ranking #2 in total viewers and demo 25-54. At 9am, the show grew +29% in both total viewers and adults 25-54 and at 6pm was up +57%/+41% respectively.
- CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield ranked #1 in cable news from noon-3pm this quarter among adults 25-54, growing each hour compared to a year ago. The show was #2 in total viewers. MSNBC was third among Total Viewers and fourth in the demo.
- CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow ranked #2 during the 3-6pm hours in total viewers and the demo 25-54; also growing each hour vs. a year ago.
Sundays:
- Inside Politics with John King ranked #2 on Sundays at 8:30am easily topping MSNBC in total viewers (703k vs. MSNBC’s 360k) and adults 25-54 (198k vs. 92k). The program was also up double digits (67%/60%) versus a year ago.
- State of the Union with Jake Tapper ranked #2 on Sundays at 9pm, increasing +67% in total viewers (792k) and +70% among adults 25-54 (225k) vs. last year. SOTU ranked #1 at noon in the key demo 25-54, averaging 227k, +61% vs. a year ago. The Tapper-led program ranked #2 in total viewers (935k) at noon, increasing +52% compared to last year.
- Fareed Zakaria GPS (10am) ranked #2 in total viewers (855k, up +42%) and among the demo adults 25-54 (223k, up +27%). At 1pm, GPS was #1 in the demo, averaging 188k, up +36% from last year. The program was #2 in total viewers (796k), growing +33% from last year.
- Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (11am) ranked #2 in cable news, growing double-digits vs. a year ago in total viewers (809k, +44%) and in the demo 25-54 (215k, +41%).
CNN ORIGINAL SERIES HIGHLIGHTS:
The series premiere of Race for the White House was the most-watched CNN Original Series telecast ever in total viewers, adults 25-54 and 18-34. The next premiere episode was the second most watched. This season- to-date, both Race for the White House and The Wonder List with Bill Weir ranked #1 across cable news in their respective time periods among all three demos.
END OF MONTH, MARCH 2016:
- CNN is the #2 network in total viewers and M-F prime time in ALL of cable in March.
- In all of cable this month vs. a year ago, CNN is the fastest growing network in prime time (M-Su/M-F) among both total viewers and adults 25-54.
- In all of cable this month vs. a year ago, CNN is the fastest growing network in total day among total viewers, posting the only triple-digit increase.
- CNN also ranks #2 in cable news, topping MSNBC for the 21st straight month in both Total Day (in total viewers and demo rating) and in M-Su/M-F Primetime in the key demo rating. This is the longest streak since February 2008.
- CNN ranked #2 in cable news in prime time (M-Su/M-F) in total viewers for the fourth straight month
- New Day has topped or tied MSNBC’s Morning Joe among adults 25-54 for 18 of the last 21 months.
- CNN delivered its highest dayside delivery (9a-4p) in total viewers in over six years (since July 2009).
- CNN topped MSNBC at 7pm, 8pm and 10pm among 25-54 for the 21st straight month.
- CNN ranked #1 across cable news on weekends in Total Day among adults 25-54, and in Weekend Prime among both 25-54 and total viewers.
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