The aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump’s landslide victory over Vice President Kamala Harris has resulted in a significant ratings drop for liberal-leaning networks MSNBC and CNN, according to Nielsen data. Both networks struggled to retain viewers as audiences tuned out following the election results announced in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, MSNBC’s all-day coverage analyzing Trump’s win drew just 596,000 total viewers, with only 71,000 in the coveted 25-54 age demographic, as reported by Mediaite. Over at CNN, the numbers were even lower, with 419,000 total viewers and a mere 91,000 in the key age demo.
The primetime ratings were dismal for both networks. MSNBC host Alex Wagner experienced her lowest-rated show ever, while Chris Hayes saw his worst audience figures since May 2016. Year-over-year, MSNBC’s viewership dropped by 23%, and CNN suffered an even steeper decline of 40%.
In stark contrast, Fox News thrived in the wake of Trump’s victory. The network’s Thursday coverage brought in a staggering 2.6 million total viewers, with 375,000 in the key 25-54 age group. Compared to the same time last year, Fox News saw its audience surge by more than 60%, underscoring a strong preference among viewers for conservative coverage of the election.
On election night itself, between 8-11 p.m. EST, MSNBC narrowly edged out CNN in the ratings for the first time ever, pulling in 5.1 million viewers. However, both networks fell far short of Fox News, which dominated the night with 10.3 million viewers during primetime hours. CNN’s audience was particularly hard hit, plummeting from 9.6 million in 2020 to just over half that figure this year.
Other major networks also struggled to match their 2020 election night ratings. According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC’s viewership dropped by 6%, landing at 5.9 million viewers. NBC saw a slight decline of 5%, down to 5.51 million viewers. CBS was the hardest hit, experiencing a 20% drop to 3.61 million viewers, compared to its 2020 election night broadcast.
The drastic decline in ratings for MSNBC and CNN following Trump’s victory signals a major shift in viewer preferences. While the liberal networks struggled to maintain their audience, conservative-leaning Fox News capitalized on wall-to-wall coverage of Trump’s electoral and popular vote wins, drawing record numbers of viewers eager for pro-Trump commentary.
Analysts suggest that the ratings collapse for MSNBC and CNN reflects a broader trend of dissatisfaction among left-leaning viewers, who may be disheartened by the election outcome and the networks’ perceived bias. Conversely, Fox News’ surge highlights the enthusiasm of Trump supporters celebrating his return to the White House.
As the new political landscape takes shape, the stark differences in ratings could signal long-term challenges for liberal networks struggling to maintain viewership in a political environment that is increasingly favorable to Trump and his conservative base.