CNN Beats MSNBC in Total Day and Prime Time Demos for 26th Straight Month
Network Grows More than +50% Compared to Last Year
Prime Time Programming Grew Up to 83%
New Day is Up 64%
CNN Ranks #1 at 4am, 5am, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm
CNN ranked #2 in cable news in August, topping MSNBC in both total day and prime time demos (adults 25-54) for the 26th straight month. This represents the longest winning streak over MSNBC in six years in total day and eight years in prime time.
CNN also beat MSNBC in total viewers for the month in total day and was the ninth most-watched network in all of cable for the month.
CNN’s viewership grew double digits this month, increasing more than 50 percent in total day and more than 40 percent in prime time compared to last August.
CNN ranked number one in all of cable news, among adults 25-54, during five separate hours. CNN was #1 from 2-5 pm weekdays, posting the network’s second highest monthly total viewer delivery during the 2 pm hour (Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin) since September 2005, second highest monthly total viewer delivery at 3 pm (Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin) since November 2008, and its second highest monthly total viewer delivery at 4 pm (The Lead with Jake Tapper) since July 2009. CNN’s Early Start, anchored by John Berman and Christine Romans, also ranked #1 in August across all of cable news.
CNN August 2016 Program Highlights:
Mornings, Afternoons:
- Early Start with John Berman & Christine Romans (4-6am) ranked #1 among adults 25-54 (137k). The program grew +74% in total viewers and +67% in the demo vs. last year.
- New Day with Chris Cuomo & Alisyn Camerota (6-9am) grew vs. a year ago, increasing an impressive +53% in total viewers and +64% among adults 25-54.
- CNN Daytime weekday programs (9a-4p) ranked either #1 or #2, topping MSNBC each hour in the demo. In total viewers, CNN had a +41% advantage over MSNBC (802k vs. MSNBC’s 570k) and a +50% lead among adults 25-54 (197k vs. MSNBC’s 131k). This represents CNN’s third highest daytime total viewer delivery since July 2009. CNN grew +70%/+77% respectively from a year ago during dayside programming.
- CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin (2pm and 3pm) ranked #1 in cable news among adults 25-54, Fox was second and MSNBC was third. This is the 2nd highest total viewer delivery for the 2p hour since September 2005, and for the 3p hour since November 2008. The Baldwin-led show ranked #2 in total viewers both hours and grew between 75-82% each hour in each demo.
- The Lead with Jake Tapper (4pm) ranked #1 in cable news in August among adults 25-54 (233k), Fox News placed second with 227k and MSNBC was third with 140k. This is the second highest 4pm total viewer delivery in seven years (since July 2009). CNN also topped MSNBC in total viewers (996k vs. MSNBC’s 685k). The Lead grew +91% in total viewers and +75% among 25-54 vs. a year ago.
- The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (5-7pm) ranked #2 in cable news besting MSNBC in both total viewers (938k vs. MSNBC’s 833k) and in the demo (246k vs. 173k). Compared to last year, The Situation Room was up in total viewers (+75%) and up among adults 25-54 (+63%).
Prime time:
- CNN beat MSNBC during weekday prime hours at 7pm and 8pm in the key demo 25-54 for the 26th straight month.
- Erin Burnett Outfront (7pm) ranked #2 in the demo (276k), topping MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews (260k). The Burnett-led program has now topped MSNBC’s Chris Matthews for the 26th straight month. EBOF also grew compared to a year ago, increasing +60% in total viewers and +47% in the demo 25-54.
- Anderson Cooper 360 (8pm) topped MSNBC’s Chris Hayes again this month among adults 25-54 (321k vs. MSNBC’s 291k). CNN has now topped MSNBC in the demo for 26 straight months. The Cooper-led program was also up compared to last year, increasing +43% in total viewers and +51% among adults 25-54. AC360 was also the highest-rated CNN prime time news program in total viewers.
- CNN programming at 9pm was up +46% in total viewers and +47% among adults 25-54 vs. last year.
- CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (10pm) grew an impressive +85% in total viewers (984k vs. 533k) and +83% (327k vs. 179k) among adults 25-54 vs. last year. CNN Tonight grew the most of all the CNN prime time news programs compared to last year.
Saturdays:
- New Day Saturday (6-9am) ranked #2 in cable news each hour in total viewers and in the demo. MSNBC was either 3rd or 4th.
- Smerconish (9am) ranked #2 in total viewers (716k vs. MSNBC’s 499k) and among 25-54 (194k vs. MSNBC’s 110k), growing +36%/+56% vs. year-ago respectively. Smerconish also ranked #2 at 6pm.
- CNN Newsroom ranked #1 from 12p-6p on Saturdays among adults 25-54. CNN Newsroom also grew double-digits in each of these hours vs. a year ago.
Sundays:
- Inside Politics with John King (8am) ranked #2 in cable news vs. MSNBC’s Politics Nation in both total viewers (655k vs. MSNBC’s 417k) and the demo (170k vs. MSNBC’s 100k). The program grew +25% in total viewers and +22% in the demo from last year.
- State of the Union with Jake Tapper ranked #2 on Sundays at 9am averaging 755k in total viewers (up +36%) and 220k among adults 25-54 (up an impressive +69%). MSNBC ranked third in total viewers and fourth in the demo. At noon, SOTU also ranked #2 in both demos and was up 47%/53% respectively.
- Fareed Zakaria GPS (10am) ranked #2 in total viewers (891k, up +38%) and in the demo 25-54 (233k, up +63%). At 1pm, GPS ranked #1 in the demo and #2 in total viewers, increasing +46%/+44% respectively.
- Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (11am) ranked #2 in cable news in total viewers (846k, up +71%) and in the key demo 25-54 (217k, up +85%); while MSNBC ranked third. Fox News increased the least this month at 11am, up 10%/20%.
- CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow ranked #1 during the 3-6pm hours in the key demo 25-54 and #2 in total viewers. The program was also up in the high double digits each hour in both total viewers and the demo compared to last year.
CNN Original Series August 2016 Highlights:
- Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies Season 1 to-date (6/19-8/28/16): Ranks #1 across cable news in its time period among adults 25-54.
- The Hunt with John Walsh Season 3 to-date (6/19-8/28/16): Ranks #2 across cable news in its time period among both total viewers and adults 25-54.
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