MSNBC once again outperformed CNN in the ratings, but for all the wrong reasons. New Nielsen ratings reveal that the liberal network has lost more than half of its primetime audience since President-elect Donald Trump’s victory last week, signaling that viewers are frustrated and weary of the spin. Fox News reported that MSNBC saw a 54% drop in ratings, with its primetime viewership averaging 1.1 million for most of October, but falling to 736,000 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of last week.
This shift comes as Fox News’s viewership surged by 61% in the same three-day period, reflecting a “Trump bump” that has executives thrilled. On the year, MSNBC’s viewership is down 26%, which is already concerning, but the situation worsens when examining the details. During the 8-11 p.m. primetime slots, MSNBC averaged 1.8 million viewers in October with shows like Alex Wagner Tonight, All In with Chris Hayes, and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell. These longtime hosts now see just over 800,000 viewers on average per night. The largest drop came in the crucial 18-54 demographic, where 57% of viewers have left the network for other options.
In comparison, CNN saw a 44% decrease in viewership on election night compared to 2020. This decline was significant enough for Chris Wallace to announce on Tuesday that he would walk away from contract negotiations after three years with the network and pursue a career in podcasting. MSNBC did not respond to a request for comment from Fox. A longtime TV executive, who wished to remain anonymous, predicted that the start of a second Trump administration will pose challenges for the ratings-struggling liberal network. “As its poor post-election night ratings show, MSNBC should not expect a ‘Trump Bump’ this time around. Even liberals are rejecting its condescending tone and the divisive rhetoric of its new standard-bearer, Joy Reid,” the executive said.
Sharon Waxman, editor of TheWrap and a reliable MSNBC viewer, wrote following Trump’s victory that the “media had got it wrong” and needs to tone down the noise. “If you’re like me, you haven’t turned on the news since last Tuesday when Donald Trump won the election. Personally, I can’t bear to listen to another minute of wisdom from Joy Reid, my friend Lawrence O’Donnell or the admirable Rachel Maddow,” Waxman wrote. “I can’t do it. I’m not saying I’ll never watch or listen again. But – am I alone here? – my entire body recoils from listening to more claptrap from the same claptrapping apparatus.”
The meltdown mode displayed by MSNBC’s anchors and guests isn’t helping matters. Claire McCaskill was seen crying on air during Vice President Kamala Harris’s concession speech. Joy Reid blamed white women for Harris’s loss, stating that Black women had “resigned from the save America coalition.” Al Sharpton and Joe Scarborough both agreed that “racism and misogyny” from Black and Latino men contributed to Harris’s defeat. A recent MSNBC chyron made it clear with the message, “FINDING HOPE IN A DARK TIME,” for easy understanding.
“While MSNBC thought they may have struck gold with the election night ratings, they should have realized by now that Americans only tuned in so they could see the meltdowns, not that they viewed it as consistently and intellectually stimulating television,” NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck told Fox News Digital.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.