CNN Delivers Best Quarter Since 2022
Delivers Highest Performance Days of the Year in March Across Platforms
Delivered More Year-over-year Viewer Growth Than Any Other Cable Network in the Top 10
Top 5 Network in All of Cable for 15 Consecutive Months and Quarters
Digital Subscriptions Continue to Climb as March Delivers Record Viewing Hours
NEW YORK, NY — (April 1, 2026) — Following a month dominated by international and U.S. breaking news coverage, CNN saw some of its highest performing days of the year across television, digital and streaming platforms in March 2026, capping off a very strong first quarter. CNN continued to see viewership gains, high engagement and consistent subscription growth as audiences connected with CNN’s unmatched bench of global journalists delivering distinctive reporting and analysis.
During Q1 2026, CNN delivered its best Total Day performance on television since Q1 2022 among P2+ (Russia-Ukraine War) and since Q3 2024 among P25-54 (presidential election cycle). CNN also finished the quarter ranked as a top 5 network in all of cable in Total Day among P2+ (for 15 consecutive quarters) and P25-54 (in the top 10 among P25-54 for 10 consecutive quarters). CNN’s primetime lineup saw strong traction in both the weekday and weekly time blocks, delivering its best performance among both demos since the presidential election cycle in Q3 2024.
For the month of March 2026, CNN saw its best Total Day performance since March 2022 among P2+ (Russia-Ukraine War) and since August 2024 among P25-54 (2024 DNC). March also saw CNN’s best M-Su/M-F Prime performance among P2+ since August 2024 (M-Su) and Sep-24 (M-F) and among P25-54 since the November 2024 presidential election.
In March, CNN ranked as a top 5 network in all of cable in Total Day among both demos, including 15 consecutive months in the top 5 among P2+. CNN is also one of the top 10 most watched cable networks among P25-54 for three consecutive months. Additionally, in Total Day and M-Su/M-F Prime, CNN posted more year-over-year total viewer growth than any other network in the top 10 cable rankings.
Compared to March 2025, CNN had strong double-digit year-over-year growth across dayparts and among both demos. Total Day viewership was up +48% among P2+ (437k to 646k). Weekday Prime viewership was up by +47% (971k vs. 660k).
CNN also saw +13% month-over-month Total Day growth among P2+ (573k to 646k), and +19% growth among P25-54 (95k to 113k). Compared to February 2026, Weekday Prime viewership was up +7% among P2+ (910k to 971k) and up +6% among P25-54 (189k to 201k).
Additionally, global audiences continued to actively seek out news across CNN’s digital platforms amid an intense breaking-news cycle, with March delivering record video consumption and elevated engagement as subscriptions continue to grow. March saw CNN’s third consecutive month of digital audience growth and its highest daily audience since the Iran-Israel conflict in June 2025. Notably, once audiences reached CNN’s digital platforms, they delivered sustained engagement, driving daily intentional video starts to their strongest pace since October 2024 and daily total time spent to its highest level since September 2025. CNN’s digital subscribers consumed the most total hours of programming since the launch of the All Access offering, with the first week of March posting the highest all-time weekly live video watch time on the subscription tier.
Audiences are also seeking out CNN Podcasts, with 30 million downloads and streams year-to-date. Additionally, off-platform in March, CNN published its most-watched TikTok video ever, with 71.5 million views and climbing.
The strong performance in March, capping off a strong Q1, came in part due to the cascade of consequential news moments. On television, CNN’s weekend breaking news coverage of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran (Sat & Sun, 2/28/26-3/1/26; 3a-3a) ranked #2 in all of cable among P2+ and #3 among P25-54. It marked CNN’s best Weekend Total Day delivery among P2+ since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (3/5/22-3/6/22; 1.031m), and best among P25-54 since the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump (7/13/24-7/14/24; 218k). CNN continued to be one of the top two most watched networks in all of cable among P2+ three days into the US-Israel war with Iran (937k) and ranked #3 among P25-54 (184k). On the day of the start of the war, Saturday, Feb. 28, CNN’s digital platforms saw the strongest performance of the year, reaching more people than any other day to date, and CNN’s coverage over the weekend delivered an increase in new subscribers.
CNN’s airing of President Trump’s State of the Union address (Tue, 2/24/26; 9:12p-11p) on television delivered more than 2.3M total viewers and 704k among P25-54, up from the 2025 address among both demos by +21% and +20%, respectively. In the SOTU address time period (9:15p-11p), CNN ranked #2 in all of cable among both P25-54 and P2+. This was CNN’s the highest prime delivery of the year so far among P2+, and the second highest among P25-54, behind only NYE. On CNN’s streaming platform, the SOTU address delivered the second-highest peak concurrents since launch, above Election Night 2025 and only behind CNN’s record-breaking New Year’s Eve special.
In addition to the heavy influx of breaking news throughout the quarter, CNN’s Have I Got News For You (HIGNFY) (Sat, 1/31 – 3/29/26; 9p-10p) returned delivering series highs and adding to CNN’s topical satire offerings. This season claims the show’s top two episodes on record among both demos. Compared to the full HIGNFY season 3, season 4 is up by triple-digits among P25-54 (+141%: 164k vs. 68k) and by double-digits among P2+ (+60%: 1.026M vs. 643k).
TV Source: The Nielsen Company Big Data + Panel data as of Sep-25/3Q25; Panel Only prior to Sep-25/3Q25. Based on Live+7 blended with most current data, including Out of Home Viewing. P2+ & P25-54 Average Audience (000s). Nielsen Month of March: 2/23/26 – 3/29/26. 1Q26: 12/29/25 – 3/29/26. Adult Swim and Nick-at-Nite Excluded from Total Day All of Cable Due to Only Airing in Prime Hours.
HIGNFY Source: The Nielsen Company. Seasons 3-4 Based on Big Data+ Panel. Seasons 1-2 based on Panel Only. Live+7, blended with most current, including Out of Home. P2+ & P25-54 Average Audience (000s). Top 2 episodes for P25-54: 2/21/26 & 3/21/26. Top 2 episodes for P2+: 3/21/26 & 1/31/26. Due to breaking news preempting episodes, Season 4 includes only 9p episodes.
Breaking News & State of the Union Source: The Nielsen Company Big Data + Panel. Live+Same Day, including Out of Home. P2+ & P25-54 Average Audience (000s).
Digital Source: Adobe Analytics
Podcast Source: Megaphone