The 2024 election results lit up screens across the United States, attracting more than 42 million viewers on cable news alone. This statistic was recently revealed through data provided by Nielsen. The evening of November 5 was an exercise in choice for Americans, with a variety of cable news channels vying for their attention as the election results were unveiled. As per the data, Fox News emerged as the preferred channel, aggregating a staggering 9.8 million viewers between 7 p.m. ET and 11 a.m. ET.
Ahead of this major insight into the electoral landscape, observers were already speculating that victory was swinging in favor of Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Fox News’ closest competitor, ABC, lagged behind with 5.7 million viewers. While MSNBC and NBC also fought for a piece of the viewership pie, their numbers plateaued at 5.5 million and 5.3 million viewers on the night, respectively. Strikingly, the liberal-leaning CNN attracted only 4.7 million viewers, trailing behind its rivals.
Following the big names in cable news were CBS, with 3.5 million viewers, and Fox Business Network and NewsNation, recording 710,000 and 257,000 viewers respectively. Interestingly, the fledgling NewsNation became the first channel to announce the election results. They led the charge at 1:21 a.m. ET, with Fox News swiftly echoing the call 25 minutes later.
While the election results set off a flurry of viewer activity, it’s important to note that the numbers did not match those of previous elections. A detailed comparison reveals that ratings dropped by about 25 percent compared to the 2020 election. This was a significant dip considering that the 2020 election, with Nielsen recording 56.9 million viewers, had itself seen a decreased momentum from 2016, when the viewership numbered 71 million.
Despite being the top dog in 2024, Fox News experienced a slide in viewership from an impressive 14 million in 2020. Adding to the plethora of surprising trends was MSNBC outperforming CNN, a first for the network. CNN’s viewership took a particularly hard hit, shrinking from 9.41 million in 2020 to less than half of that in 2024.
Speculation abounds as to why the 2024 election saw fewer eyeballs on screens. One major difference between this election and its predecessor was when the results were declared. The 2020 election had teetered on the edge for four days after Election Day due to a surge in mail-in ballots and early voting. Analysts even predicted a similar delay for 2024, given the intense competition between Trump and Kamala Harris.
One possible reason for the reduced viewership could be the demographic composition of the viewers. Reports indicate that 24.4 percent of the audience was aged 55 and older, suggesting a lack of engagement from younger voters. Alternatively, it could be that the younger demographic simply preferred receiving their election news from other sources. This generation has shown an inclination towards digital platforms like social media and home streaming services, which are unfortunately not factored into Nielsen’s tracking metrics.