Viewers Turn To CNN For Breaking News Reporting And Coverage From Ukraine In March

CNN

March 29th, 2022

Viewers Turn To CNN For Breaking News Reporting And Coverage From Ukraine In March

CNN Is A Top Five Network In All Of Cable

CNN is Up Double Digits in the Demo 25-54 from Last Year’s Historic Highs

CNN Posts Strong Advantages Over MSNBC in Both Total Viewers and 25-54 this Month

In Q1, CNN Beats MSNBC in Every Daypart, Including Total Day, Morning, Prime Time, Dayside, Weekends and Sunday Mornings Among Adults 25-54

Viewers continue to turn to CNN for the latest breaking news and worldwide reporting about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis it created, closing out the month of March as a Top Five network in all of cable (not just news) in all dayparts in both total viewers and the demo adults 25-54. This month, CNN was up double digits among adults 25-54 vs. last year’s historic ratings highs, while MSNBC lost viewers in March. CNN also surpassed MSNBC in both total viewers and the demo in Total Day, Dayside and on weekends, and in the demo 25-54, during mornings and prime time (M-Su and M-F). Key CNN programs including New Day with John Berman and Brianna Keilar, The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett Outfront, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN programming at 9pm and Don Lemon Tonight all post strong advantages over MSNBC in March in the demo.

Top Five in All of Cable (Not Just News)

During the first quarter (Q1 January-March 2022), CNN outperformed MSNBC in Total Day for the 11^th straight quarter, in weekday Prime Time for the first time since Q1 2021 and in the Daytime for the 38^th consecutive quarter in the key demo adults 25-54. CNN’s New Day with John Berman and Brianna Keilar, The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett Outfront, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN programming at 9pm and Don Lemon Tonight all surpassed MSNBC in Q1 among 25-54. (Additional Q1 ratings data is below March monthly data.)

CNN reaches more people in the U.S. than any other news brand across TV and digital among 25-54 (54 million). The network has the second largest reach among 18-34 (40 million) and third highest among total people (174 million).* So far this year, CNN has reached the largest cumulative TV audience of any cable news network among both total viewers (55 million) and 25-54 (17 million) and has done so consecutively for 21 years. In addition to reaching the largest audience, CNN also attracts the youngest audience in cable news in Total Day and Prime Time and MSNBC now has the oldest.

March Dayparts

In Total Day (6am-6am), CNN beat MSNBC for the first time in total viewers (887k vs. 784k) since January 2021 (1/6 insurrection month). Among adults 25-54, CNN surpassed MSNBC (230k vs. 104k) now for the 28^th consecutive month. CNN is up +8% in total viewers and +19% in the demo while MSNBC is down -24%/-21% respectively compared to a year ago.

In Prime Time (8-11pm), CNN easily beat MSNBC in the key demo adults 25-54. During the full week of prime time (M-Su), CNN had more viewers than MSNBC in 25-54 (368k vs. 185k), outperforming MSNBC for the third straight month and is up +20% vs. a year ago. In weekday prime time (M-F), CNN also surpassed MSNBC in the demo (421k vs. MSNBC’s 227k), now for the second straight month; while increasing +24% in the demo. MSNBC lost prime time viewers in March, down -30% in total viewers and -24% in 25-54 in M-Su prime time and -33%/-28% in M-F prime time.
During Dayside (9am-4pm), CNN outperformed MSNBC in total viewers for the second consecutive month (1.102 million vs. 822k) and in the key demo 25-54 (261k vs. 99k) for the 97^th consecutive month. Compared to a year ago, CNN was up +10% in total viewers and +15% in the demo while MSNBC was down -22% among both demos during dayside.
On Weekends, CNN also topped MSNBC in Total Day (6am-6am) in total viewers (808k vs. 476k) and in the demo 25-54 (192k vs. 63k). In weekend prime time, CNN beat MSNBC in total viewers (908k vs. 544k) and adults 25-54 (236k vs. 80k). All of CNN’s Sunday morning public affairs programs topped MSNBC in both total viewers and the demo 25-54 in March and are up vs. last year. CNN beat MSNBC for all 24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays in both total viewers and adults 25-54 this month.

March Weekday Program Ratings

New Day with John Berman and Brianna Keilar (6-9am) topped MSNBC’s Morning Joe during the time period in the key demo adults 25-54 (159k vs. 110k) for the first time since October 2017. New Day grew +10% in the demo adults 25-54, while MSNBC was down -34% vs. a year ago. In total viewers, CNN was up +12% vs. last year and MSNBC declined -25% in the 6-9am time period. Early Start with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett (5-6am) ranked #2 in cable news in total viewers (348k vs. 330k) and in the demo (85k vs. 57k), ahead of MSNBC by +5% and +49% respectively.
All CNN dayside programs (9am-4pm) beat MSNBC in total viewers and the demo 25-54 including CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto (9-11am), At This Hour with Kate Bolduan (11am), Inside Politics with John King (noon), CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera (1pm) and CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell (2-4pm). All of CNN’s dayside programs were up double digits in both demos compared to last year, while MSNBC was down double digits throughout the day across the board.

The Lead with Jake Tapper easily topped MSNBC this month at 4pm in the demo (274k vs. 139k, +97% advantage) now for the 25^th straight month. At 5pm, the Tapper-led program had a +129% lead over MSNBC’s Deadline: White House (318k vs. 139k) and has now surpassed them for the 11^th consecutive month among adults 25-54. March represents the largest advantage The Lead has had over MSNBC in the 4pm hour since February 2017, and the largest in the 5pm hour since December 2015. At 4pm, the show was up +2% in total viewers (MSNBC declined -20%) and +10% in the demo (MSNBC -17%) compared to last year. And at 5pm, The Lead grew +12% in total viewers (MSNBC was down -23%) and +21% in the demo (MSNBC -23%).
The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (6pm) was ahead of MSNBC this month by an impressive +99% — averaging 307k vs. 154k in the key demo adults 25-54. The Blitzer-led program has now outperformed MSNBC for the 25^thconsecutive month. March 2022 is the largest advantage Sit Room has had over MSNBC since April 2020 in the demo. The program is also up +7% in total viewers, while MSNBC is down -21% and in the demo, grew +19% while MSNBC is off -15% compared to last year.
Erin Burnett Outfront (7pm) outperformed MSNBC’s ReidOut in March in total viewers (1.211m vs. 1.192m) for the first time since January 2021. In the key demo, the Burnett-led program topped MSNBC by a wide margin (+97%) 354k vs. 180k. Erin Burnett Outfront has now surpassed MSNBC for the 32^nd straight month in the demo. The program was up +22% in the demo (MSNBC was off -10%) vs. a year ago.
Anderson Cooper 360 (8pm) beat All in With Chris Hayes this month in total viewers (1.422m vs. 1.371m, +4%) for the first time since January 2021 and continued to top MSNBC in the demo adults 25-54 (418k vs. 192k, +118%) now for the 27^th consecutive month. The Cooper-led program was up +17% in the demo (All In declined -21%). AC 360 delivered CNN’s highest rated program in both total viewers (1.422m) and the demo adults 25-54 (418k) on CNN in March, 2022.
CNN programming at 9pm (mostly AC 360, and some CNN Tonight) ranked #2 in cable news in the demo (392k), ahead of MSNBC (243k, +61%) for the first time in the 9pm hour since January 2021. This is CNN’s biggest advantage over MSNBC at 9pm in the demo since November 2014 and MSNBC’s lowest total viewer performance since December 2016.
Don Lemon Tonight easily outperformed MSNBC during both the 10pm and 11pm hours in the demo adults 25-54 in March. At 10pm, the Lemon-led program had a +77% advantage over MSNBC’s Last Word (341k vs. 193k) and has now topped O’Donnell for the second consecutive month among 25-54. This represents the largest advantage CNN has had over MSNBC at 10pm since May 2015. Also at 10pm, the program was up +5% (MSNBC was down -26%) in the demo vs. a year ago. At 11pm, Don Lemon Tonight also topped MSNBC by wide margins (274k vs. 154k) now for the 2^nd straight month.

March Weekend Program Ratings

New Day Weekend with Christi Paul and Boris Sanchez surpassed MSNBC in both total viewers and/or the demo 25-54 on Saturdays and Sundays during its time period this month. Smerconish topped MSNBC on Saturday mornings at 9am in total viewers (1.044m vs. 715k) and the key demo 25-54 (204k vs. 81k). The Smerconish led program was also up +15% in total viewers and +17% in the demo vs. last year. On weekend afternoons/evenings, CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield, CNN Newsroom with Jim Acosta and CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown all outperformed MSNBC in each hour on Saturdays/Sundays in both total viewers and the demo 25-54 and were up double digits vs. a year ago, while MSNBC lost viewers. Special weekend editions of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer also ranked #2 in both total viewers and the demo and grew in the time period vs. a year ago March.

On Sunday mornings, all CNN programs outperformed MSNBC in March in both total viewers and the demo 25-54 and grew double digits vs. last year; while MSNBC declined. Inside Politics with Abby Phillip (8am, was up +12% in total viewers and +8% in the demo vs. a year ago), State of the Union with Jake Tapper/Dana Bash (9am, up +7% in total viewers and +13% in the demo. At noon SOTU was up +16% in total viewers and +36% in the demo compared to last year), Fareed Zakaria GPS (10am, grew +15% in total viewers and +25% in the demo. At 1pm increased +34% in total viewers and an impressive +63% in the demo vs. March 2021) and Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (11am, increased +10% in total viewers and +11% in the demo). Special Sunday editions of news programming anchored from Ukraine by Erin Burnett and by Anderson Cooper also easily topped MSNBC during the month of March.

March Special Programming

Tuesday, March 1, 2022 President Biden’s State of the Union Address (9:08-10:11pm) and the Republican Response (10:32-10:48pm)

For the SOTU Address, CNN delivered 1.788 million among adults 25-54 and ranked #1 for the time period; averaged 4.830 million total viewers, ranking #2 and 545k in younger viewers (18-34), ranking #1.
For the Republican Response, CNN delivered 1.067 million in the demo 25-54 and ranked #2 for the time period; averaged 2.885 million among total viewers, ranking #2; and 261k among 18-34, ranking #1.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing (Day 2, 9am-10pm)

Delivered 205k among adults 25-54 and ranking #2 for the time period, 832k among total viewers, and 41k among 18-34 ranking #1 in cable news.

Tuesday, March 26, 2022 President Biden’s Address on Ukrainefrom Warsaw, Poland (1:15-1:45pm)

CNN ranked #1 across cable news in the time period (359k) among 25-54 and 18-34 (69k) and ranked #2 among total viewers (1.579 million).

First Quarter (Q1 January- March 2022) Highlights

CNN beat MSNBC in Total Day among adults 25-54 (156k vs. 88k) in Q1, now for the 11^th straight quarter.
The network also beat MSNBC in M-Su prime time (234k vs. 153k) for the first time since Q3 2021 in the demo.
CNN surpassed MSNBC in weekday M-F prime time (258k vs. 193k) for the first time since Q1 2021 among 25-54.
CNN outperformed MSNBC during dayside in Q1 in the demo for the 38^th consecutive quarter (181k vs. 82k).
On weekends, CNN surpassed MSNBC in weekend prime time and Total Day in both total viewers and the demo 25-54.

New Day with John Berman and Brianna Keilar beat MSNBC’s Morning Joe in the 6-9am time period for the first time since Q1 2017 in the key demo (99k vs. 96k). Early Start with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett attracted 227k total viewers and 47k in the demo for the quarter.
All CNN dayside programs (9am-4pm) beat MSNBC in the demo 25-54 this quarter including CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto (9-11am), At This Hour with Kate Bolduan (11am), Inside Politics with John King (noon), CNN Newsroom with Ana Cabrera (1pm) and CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell (2-4pm). From 10am-4pm, CNN also outperformed MSNBC among total viewers.
The Lead with Jake Tapper, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Erin Burnett Outfront, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN programming at 9pm and Don Lemon Tonight all surpassed MSNBC in the demo this quarter.
Anderson Cooper 360 (8pm) was CNN’s most-watched program for the quarter in total viewers and the demo.
On weekends, New Day Weekend ranked #2 in either total viewers and/or the demo and CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield, Jim Acosta and Pam Brown ranked #2 in cable news in both total viewers and the demo 25-54 in Q1. Smerconish was #2 in both the total viewers and the demo on Saturdays this quarter.
On Sundays, Inside Politics with Abby Phillip, State of the Union with Jake Tapper/Dana Bash, Fareed Zakaria GPS and Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter all ranked #2 in cable news, easily topping MSNBC in both total viewers and the demo 25-54.

(Note: Q1 a year ago included coverage of the Capitol Insurrection (CNN’s most-watched day in history), the impeachment and acquittal of a president and the inauguration of a new one. During that time of unprecedented news, and as a news organization, CNN increased the most. Therefore, it is not surprising that during Q1 this year, CNN viewership is down vs. last year’s record highs, Fox however is up this quarter vs. a year ago because they were way down during last year’s breaking news coverage of the Capitol Insurrection and its aftermath.)

*Multiplatform Reach Source: Comscore Xmedia Total view Audience Analysis Report. Reach includes TV & Digital (computer & mobile). Live +7. Period: Jan-22 (average monthly). Based on P25-54, P18-34 & P2+

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