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CNN Beats MSNBC In 2018 In Total Day For Fifth Straight Year

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2018 is CNN’S MOST-WATCHED MIDTERM YEAR EVER

CNN PRIME TIME PROGRAMS ALL POST RECORD DELIVERIES

CNN Original Series Rank #1 on Sundays

Network Ranks #8 in All of Cable

 

CNN had tremendous ratings success in 2018, posting record levels and surpassing MSNBC in key dayparts and hours in the demographic adults 25-54.  CNN beat MSNBC in total day for the fifth straight year (217k vs MSNBC’s 200k), during dayside for the 22nd year (210k vs. MSNBC’s 176k) and overtook MSNBC on weekends each hour among adults 25-54.  In prime time, CNN had its third-best delivery in 10 years (334k; since 2008, behind only election year 2016 and inauguration year 2017), and best delivery ever during a midterm year (see chart below). In 2018, nearly all CNN news programs drew higher demo 25-54 audiences than MSNBC, posting near or above presidential election year levels.  CNN Original Series also had banner ratings in 2018, with each series ranking #1 in cable news on Sundays in either total viewers and/or adults 25-54.

 

CNN Posts Record-Level Deliveries in 2018:

 

 

CNN Ranks #8 in All of Cable:

Among ALL cable networks, CNN ranked #8 in total viewers in total day this year.  This marks the second consecutive year that CNN is a Top 10 cable network among total viewers in total day. In M-F prime time, CNN ranked #10 in total viewers.  In 2018, CNN had five of the Top 12 historical/non-fiction series in ALL of cable among adults 25-54, more than any other non-fiction, including the History Channel.

 

Key CNN Programs Surpass MSNBC:

Key CNN programs including Early Start with Christine Romans and Dave Briggs, CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto, At This Hour with Kate Bolduan, Inside Politics with John King (weekday), CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar, CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Situation Room, Erin Burnett Outfront, Anderson Cooper 360, New Day (weekends), Smerconish, CNN Special Reports, The Axe Files with David Axelrod, The Van Jones Show and S.E. Cupp Unfiltered all easily surpassed MSNBC this year, posting higher demo 25-54 audiences.

CNN’s Sunday morning programs including Inside Politics with John King (8am), State of the Union with Jake Tapper (9am), Fareed Zakaria GPS (10am) and Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (11am,) all posted more viewers in the key demo 25-54 than MSNBC, ranking #2 in cable news.

On Saturdays and Sundays, CNN delivered higher demo audiences than MSNBC for 24 out of 24 hours.

 

CNN Ranks #1 in Cable News, Overtakes Fox and MSNBC:

State of the Union with Jake Tapper (noon) ranked #1 in cable news in 2018 for the third consecutive year with 234k, Fox followed with 228k and MSNBC had 158k among adults 25-54.  On Saturdays, CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield (1-3pm,) was #1 on Saturdays, as was CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera on Saturdays/Sundays (3-6pm) in the key demo 25-54.  All of CNN Original Series programming ranked #1 in cable news on Sundays this year among adults 25-54.  CNN’s midterm election night coverage (11-6-18) ranked #1 in ALL of television (broadcast and cable) in the key demo 25-54 during prime time. The 12th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute (12-9-18, 8pm) ranked #1 in cable news (153k), topping Fox (145k) and MSNBC (135k) among adults 25-54.

 

Median Age:

CNN (62 years old) continues to attract an audience that is four years younger than Fox News and MSNBC (66) in total day.  In prime time, CNN’s audience (61 years old), is five years younger than Fox and MSNBC (66). While CNN is pacing at the lowest median age in cable news, MSNBC is pacing at its oldest audience levels on record across total day and M-Su/M-F prime.

 

Reaches more people than any other cable news brand across TV and Digital:

CNN reaches more people than any other cable news brand across TV and digital in 2018TD. On a monthly basis, CNN reaches 171 million people across TV and digital, more than FOX News (144 million) or MSNBC (56 million).  CNN also reaches more people ages 18-34 and 25-54 than any other news brand across TV and digital, beating out cable & broadcast competitors as well as brands like New York Times, Washington Post and Yahoo News.

CNN continues to reach the largest cumulative average monthly television audience in 2018 among both total viewers and adults 25-54 of any cable news network.  (CNN 65.7 million/23.7 million, Fox 63.3m/20.8m, MSNBC 47.9m/15.7m).  This makes the network #1 every year for the 17 years on record among both demos.

CNN reached its largest digital audience in history in 2018, wrapping the year with an average of 121 million unique visitors per month and ranking ahead of all digital news competitors as #1 in multiplatform visitors, multiplatform video, mobile, millennials, global, social and politics. With the close of November, CNN ranked #1 in multiplatform unique visitors for more than two years running, mobile unique visitors for over a full year, and multiplatform video starts for more than three years in a row. For more information on CNN Digital’s traffic visit the CNN Press Room.

 

CNN 2018 News Program Highlights:

 

CNN 2018 Original Series and CNN Films Highlights:

CNN Original Series continued to post robust ratings this year, ranking #1 in cable news on Sundays among adults 25-54:

 

CNN Films     

 

Out of Home (OOH) Viewing:

In 2018TD, CNN is averaging a +6.4% lift (or +14k) in total day among 25-54 with OOH viewers. CNN is tied with TBS for #3 with OOH viewers gained (+14k) among all reportable OOH networks, behind #1 ranked ESPN (+30k) and #2 ranked TNT (+16k).

 

Digital-to-TV Lift Viewing

2018 Year-to-date, live viewing on digital has provided a 2% lift to the CNN linear audience. Big news days for the year such as the Kavanaugh/Ford Senate hearings, former President George H.W. Bush funeral, and the State of the Union Address provided lifts as high as 9%-14%.

 

 

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