CNN DELIVERS BEST TOTAL DAY AUDIENCE IN TWO YEARS
SEES Q3 2024 GAINS IN TOTAL DAY AND PRIME OVER PRIOR QUARTER
RANKS AGAIN AS TOP 5 NETWORK IN ALL OF CABLE IN SEPTEMBER AND Q3 2024
#1 DIGITAL NEWS OUTLET IN THE US
NEW YORK— (October 1, 2024) — CNN finished Q3 2024 delivering a strong performance among audiences across linear, digital and streaming platforms, marking CNN’s best quarter on TV in over two years among total viewers and viewers aged 25-54. Additionally, CNN continued to be a top destination for cable television viewers, ranking in the top five of all cable networks and ranked again as the #1 digital news outlet in the United States.
Across all of cable in Q3, CNN ranked #3 among P2+ in Total Day, its ninth consecutive quarter in the top 5. Among P25-54, CNN ranked #4, its fourth consecutive quarter in the top 10. Overall, CNN delivered its strongest Total Day audience levels in over two years among both P2+ (563k) and P25-54 (111k). This was CNN’s best quarter since the escalation of the Ukraine War (since 1Q 2022 among P2+ and since 2Q 2022 among P25-54). CNN posted double-digital growth in Q3 vs. both year-ago and 2Q 2024. Vs. 3Q 2023, CNN grew +19% among P2+ and +25% among P25-54. Compared to 2Q 2024, which included the CNN Presidential Debate, CNN was up +18% among P2+ and +29% among P25-54. In daytime programming, CNN was a top 5 cable network in the daypart among both P2+ (#3) and P25-54 (#4).
In M-Su Prime (8p-11p), CNN was also a top 5 cable network among both P2+ and P25-54 (#4). CNN delivered its strongest M-Su Prime (8p-11p) levels since 2Q 2021 among P2+ (942k) and since 1Q 2022 among P25-54 (210k). Compared to Q3 2023, CNN was up +55% among P2+ and +75% P25-54. CNN also posted significant growth vs. 2Q 2024: +48% among P2+ and +64% among P25-54.
In a quarter marked by significant political and US election news, CNN was consistently a top destination for viewers. For the weekend of former President Trump’s first assassination attempt (Sat, 7/13-Sun, 7/14), CNN ranked #2 in all of cable in Prime with 1.838 million and 524k P25-54. This marked the network’s best weekend prime performance since January 2021 among P2+ (Sa,1/16-Su,1/17/21) and since the outbreak of the Ukraine war among P25-54 (Sa, 2/26 – Su, 2/27/22).
For its coverage of the Democratic National Convention (8/19-8/22, common coverage block), CNN ranked #1 in all of TV among P25-54 with 961k and #2 among P2+ with 3.565 million. Further, the DNC marked CNN’s best Monday-Thursday Prime performance since the week of President Biden’s inauguration (Mon, 1/18 – Thu, 1/21/21). CNN’s exclusive interview with VP Kamala Harris and Tim Walz (Thu, 8/29, 9p-9:50p) ranked #1 in all of TV with 6.305 million P2+ and #2 among P25-54 with 1.176 million, behind only College Football on ESPN.
Further, CNN continues to reach the most viewers in cable news with 58 million P2+ and 17.4 million P25-54 in Q3.
CNN’s new comedy panel show Have I Got News for You (9/14-9/28) is off to a successful start with double-digit growth in its Saturday 9p time period vs. the prior 4 weeks: up +52% among P2+ (706k vs. 464k) and +30% among P25-54 (90k vs. 69k).
In Q3 2024, CNN continued to have the youngest audience among cable news networks, posting a Total Day median age of 67 years. It was also the youngest cable news network in September, posting a Total Day median age of 68 years.
Across CNN’s digital platforms, CNN once again saw the most unique visitors in the United States, according to the latest Comscore metrics. According to Comscore, CNN reached 117 million multiplatform U.S. unique visitors in August, retaining the #1 digital news platform ranking for more than eight years running. CNN’s lead in unique visitors was 17 million over #2 CBS News for August. August domestic data is the most recent Comscore data available.
TV Source: The Nielsen Company. Live+7D blended with the best available current viewing types. 3Q-24 (7/1/24 – 9/29/24). DNC Common Coverage Block: Mon, 8/19: 10p-12:30a; Tue, 8/20: 10p-12a; Wed, 8/21: 9p-12a; Thu, 8/22: 9p-11:30p.
Digital Source: Comscore Media Metrix® Multi-Platform, Desktop & Mobile, Custom-Defined List, August 2024, U.S. Based on CNN.com entity compared to a custom list of single brand competitors that are also in the News/Information Category. CNN Brand entity used prior to October 2018.