CNN Press Room

CNN Beats Fox and MSNBC this Quarter in Prime, Total Day and Dayside in Demo; #1 in All of Cable in Total Day Among 25-54

AB Jager

CNN IS #1 IN ALL OF CABLE THIS QUARTER AMONG ADULTS 25-54

CNN BEATS FOX & MSNBC IN PRIME TIME, TOTAL DAY & DAYSIDE DURING 1Q IN DEMO

 CNN Prime Time Programs All Rank #1 in Cable News, Surpassing MSNBC & Fox in Key Demo

 Tapper, Blitzer, Burnett, Cooper, Cuomo and Lemon Post 1Q Ratings Highs

 CNN is Up the Most in Cable News, Fox Audience is Down (A lot)

CNN Tops MSNBC in all Key Dayparts in March in the Demo; Network is #1 in Daytime for 5th Straight Month among 25-54

 

FIRST QUARTER 2021:

CNN had several major ratings milestones in Q1:

(Info for the month of March is below quarterly data.)

CNN is #1 in All of Cable in the key demo 25-54 and #2 in total viewers in Total Day during Q1 2021:

CNN is #1 in cable news in all dayparts in the key demo adults 25-54. The network also grew the most in cable news vs. last year:

 

Daypart Highlights

 In Total Day, CNN is #1 in all of cable and cable news in the demo (352k) for the second consecutive quarter.  For the quarter,  Fox ranks second (225k) and MSNBC is last (219k) among 25-54.  In total viewers, CNN beats third place Fox (1.357 million vs. Fox’s 1.338 million).  This quarter was CNN’s second most-watched in history in total viewers (just following 4Q 2020) and highest quarter in the demo 25-54 since 1Q 2003 (352k). CNN’s audience is up double digits compared to last year in 1Q.

In M-Su and M-F prime time, CNN is #1 in cable news for the first time in 13 years (since 1Q 2008) in the key demo (535k/627k). In weekday M-F prime, MSNBC and Fox are tied far behind with 482k among 25-54 .  This is the first time CNN has beat Fox in both M-Su and M-F prime time in 13 years (since Q1 2008) in the demo.  CNN has now surpassed MSNBC for five straight quarters in 25-54.  CNN’s prime time audience is also up double digits.

During Dayside, CNN is also #1 in all of cable this quarter and now for the second quarter in a row in the demo. The network is also #1 in cable news in both total viewers and adults 25-54, easily topping both MSNBC and Fox in both demos.  This quarter is CNN’s best dayside ratings in total viewers for a quarter (1.740 million) on record and the first time that CNN has ranked #1 since 4Q 2001.  This is also the first time CNN has surpassed Fox in total viewers since 4Q 2001 and for the second consecutive quarter in the demo. CNN has now outperformed MSNBC for two straight quarters in total viewers and for 34 quarters in the demo 25-54.  CNN has the most growth in cable news this quarter during the day.

Fox lost nearly a third of its total viewer and adults 25-54 audiences since a year ago (1Q 2020) across all the key dayparts and demos, registering the only declines among the three major cable news networks.

Evening/Weekday Prime Time Programming Quarterly Highlights: 

7:00pm/Erin Burnett Outfront – ranked #1 in cable news the demo 25-54 for the second straight quarter with 544k, MSNBC’s was second with 346k and Fox was a distant third with 317k.  In total viewers, CNN surpassed third place Fox Prime Time (2.047 million vs. 1.889 million). This was EBOF’s biggest quarter on record in both total viewers and the demo.  The Burnett-led program had the most growth in cable news at 7pm, up +60% in total viewers and +44% in the demo vs. last year.

8:00pm/Anderson Cooper 360 – was #1 in cable news at 8pm for the first time in 21 years (since 2Q 2000) in the key demo adults 25-54 (611k) and was up +49% vs a year ago. FNC’s Tucker lagged far behind with 575k and was down -23% and MSNBC’s All In ranked #3 with 363k (+13%). In total viewers, the Cooper-led program outperformed third place MSNBC (2.298 million vs. 2.293 million).  This quarter was AC 360’s best quarter ever in total viewers and the demo.  AC 360 was the cable news program that had the highest growth in the 8pm time period in both total viewers +64% and in the demo (+49%) compared to last year.

9:00pm/Cuomo Prime Time – for the first time, Cuomo Prime Time ranked #1 in cable news at 9pm in the key demo (658k), topping second place MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show (618k), while Fox’s Hannity was a distant #3 averaging 479k in the demo.  This was the first time Fox dropped to #3 in the demo in 21 years (since 1Q 2000). The Cuomo-led program was the highest-rated show across all of cable news this quarter among adults 25-54.  This was CPT’s highest quarter on record in both total viewers (2.497 million) and the demo (658k) and the network’s overall best 9pm rating delivery ever.  Cuomo Prime Time had the most growth in cable news in all of prime time up +66% in total viewers and +50% in the demo compared to last year, Fox was down -29%/-35% respectively.  CPT was also CNN’s highest-rated program in both total viewers and the demo this quarter.

10:00pm/CNN Tonight with Don Lemon – ranked #1 in cable news at 10pm this quarter with 556k, MSNBC’s Last Word was second with 408k and FNC’s Ingraham lagged in last place with 403k in the key demo 25-54.  This was the Lemon-led program’s first time ever ranking #1 in cable news at 10pm for a full quarter and the program’s highest total viewer (1.891 million) and demo (556k) deliveries on record.  This was the first time FNC ranked #3 in the demo 25-54 since 2Q 2001. CNN Tonight had the most growth across cable news in the time period in both total viewers (+53%) and adults 25-54 (+42%), while FNC was down -35%/-36% respectively vs. last year.

Weekday Programming Quarterly Highlights: 

4:00pm/The Lead with Jake Tapper ranked #1 in cable news by wide margins averaging 438k in the key demo 25-54 this quarter, far surpassing MSNBC’s Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace (321k) and FNC’s Your World with Neil Cavuto (214k).  The Tapper-led program also easily outperformed third place Fox in total viewers (1.868 million vs. 1.320 million). This was The Lead’s highest quarter on record in both total viewers (1.868 million) and the demo (438k), while the program grew +53% in total viewers and +38% in the demo compared to a year ago.

5:00pm & 6:00pm/The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer ranked #1 in cable news each hour in the key demo adults 25-54.  At 5pm, Sit Room was top-rated attracting 462k among 25-54, outperforming both FNC’s The Five (402k) and MSNBC (359k).  At 6pm,  Blitzer-led program dominated with 460k,  FNC’s averaged 325k and MSNBC’s The Beat had 307k. This was The Situation Room’s highest quarter at on record in both total viewers and adults 25-54 at 5pm and 6pm. The program was up vs. a year ago, increasing +42% in total viewers and +37% in the demo at 5pm and +36%/+27% at 6pm respectively.

9:00am-3:00pm/CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto (9-11am), CNN Newsroom with Kate Bolduan (11am), Inside Politics with John King (12noon), CNN Newsroom with Brianna Keilar (1-3pm) and CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin (3pm) all ranked #1 in cable news during their respective time periods in the demo adults 25-54 and/or among total viewers.  CNN was also up double digits compared to a year ago in both total viewers and the demo, while FNC lost more than a third of their audience each and every hour vs. a year ago.

6:00-9:00am/New Day with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman posted its highest quarter on record in total viewers (796k) and beat FNC’s Fox and Friends in this key demo (204k vs. 203) in 1Q.  This was the first time F&F ranked #3 in the demo in 21 years (since 4Q 2000).  In the 8am hour, New Day was #1 in cable news in adults 25-54 with 258k, F&F was second with 251k and MSNBC’s Morning Joe ranked third with 243k.  New Day had the most growth in the time period, up +36% in total viewers and +28% vs a year ago.  FNC’s Fox and Friends lost -35% of its total viewer and -41% of its 25-54 audience vs. a year ago. Early Start with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett (5:00-6:00am) ranked #1 among adults 25-54 in 1Q in the time period, and also grew the most in cable news during the early morning time period, up +34% total viewers and +23% in the demo.

Weekend Quarterly Highlights:

During the weekend dayparts (S/S), CNN was #1 in Total Day among total viewers (1.036 million) and in the demo 25-54 (234k), FNC was second and MSNBC ranked third.  In weekend prime time, CNN was #2 in total viewers (1.353 million) and #1 in the demo with 304k, FNC followed with 224k and MSNBC averaged 106k.  On Saturdays, CNN was #1, surpassing Fox and MSNBC in total viewers from 11am-8pm and from 1am-6am and in the demo, at 6am and every hour from 9am-10pm and from 11pm-6am.  On Sundays the network was top-rated from 11am-8pm and 9pm-5am in total viewers and among 25-54 at 6am, 9am and every hour from 11am-6am.

CNN Original Series:

CNN Special Reports and Programming Highlights:

Additional Quarterly News cycle Highlights:

MONTH OF MARCH:

All the cable news networks are down vs. last March due to the heightened news cycle of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdown across the country last year.  While CNN’s ratings are down vs. last year in March, they remain higher than they were prior to the coronavirus pandemic.  FNC’s ratings remain lower than the pre-pandemic period.

Fox’s ratings have shriveled compared to a year ago, declining every month vs. the year prior.  Last year, FNC only experienced a slight single digit boost in Mar-20 (+9%; when the Coronavirus was labeled a pandemic) from the previous month (Feb-20) in total viewers in Total day.  CNN however experienced a +75% increase, showing CNN’s command of the news audience when the pandemic first started.  In M-Su Prime among total viewers last year, CNN increased +45% in Mar-20 vs. Feb-20, while FNC increased only +3%.

CNN Daypart Highlights (March 2021):

 

CNN Program Highlights (March 2021):

Median Age, Cross Platform and Reach:

Digital-to-TV Lift:

Out of Home Lift:

 

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