Week of September 16 Cable News Ratings: No Debate Means No Gains

This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of September 16, 2024.

After a historic presidential debate boosted CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC to huge ratings, all three cable news giants fell back to Earth during the week of Sept. 16. Absent an increasingly unlikely rematch between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, the trio experienced week-to-week declines in the double digits among total viewers and the advertiser-friendly Adults 25-54 audience.

And while their respective year-to-year outlooks were rosier due to the election-driven news cycle, it’s no wonder why legacy media outlets are rooting for another trip to the debate spin room.

Networks:

According to Nielsen live plus same-day data, Fox News handily won both measured categories across all dayparts. In primetime, the network attracted 2.513 million total viewers and 310,000 pairs of A25-54 eyeballs. FNC was down a respective -20% and -34% compared to the previous week. Total day numbers were 1.486 million in the former category and 203,000 in the latter for declines of -6% and -11%, respectively.

On the basic cable chart, Fox fell from first to second place in total primetime viewers and remained static in second in the primetime demo. It ticked upwards from second to first on the total day total viewers chart and held second in the total day demo.

MSNBC experienced a steeper exodus in primetime, with 1.481 million total viewers and 154,000 A25-54 viewers for declines of -29% and -46%, respectively. It fell under the million-viewer mark in total day total viewers with an audience of 952,000, and under the 100,000-viewer mark in the demo with 99,000. That translates to declines of -18% and -27% compared to the previous week.

Basic cable chart-wise, MSNBC dropped one spot from No. 2 to No. 3 among primetime total viewers and fell from fourth to seventh in the primetime demo. Total day standings saw the network holding on to second place in total viewers and moving down from third to fourth in the demo.

CNN took the biggest week-to-week hit of the three outlets, settling for a primetime audience of 681,000 total viewers and 138,000 A25-54 viewers. That translates to plunges of -43% and -54%, respectively. The news wasn’t much better in total day, where only 517,000 total viewers and 94,000 demo viewers tuned in for drops of -21% and -30% compared to Debate Week. CNN also saw its total day demo gap with MSNBC expand to 5,000 viewers after narrowing to 1,000 for a two-week stretch.

Over on the charts, CNN placed fifth among primetime total viewers and eighth in the primetime demo after ranking at No. 4 and No. 3 last week. It fell from third to fourth place in total day total viewers and from fourth to sixth in the total day demo.

While the week-to-week comps weren’t a great look, 2024 was an improvement over the same week in 2023 (the week of Sept. 18)

• Fox News saw year-to-year gains of +45% and +67% among primetime total viewers and the primetime demo, respectively. Across total day, the network was up +36% in the former category and +54% in the latter.
• In primetime, MSNBC saw a +19% increase in total viewers and +38% in the demo. Total day gains were a respective +19% and +18% in those respective categories.
• CNN rose by +33% in total primetime viewers and +42% in the primetime demo. The network ticked upwards +23% and +25% in those respective categories during total day.

Programming:

Fox News claimed 10 spots on the week’s list of the Top 15 most-watched cable news programs among total viewers. The Five (3,396,000 viewers at 5 p.m.) finished first, while MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show (2,359,000 viewers at 9 p.m.) swooped in at No. 7.

Meanwhile, a rare late night Donald Trump appearance powered Gutfeld! (461,000 viewers at 10 p.m.) to the top of most-watched shows among the A25-54 demo, with FNC taking 13 out of the 15 spots. An average of All In with Chris Hayes and Inside with Jen Psaki (206,000 viewers at 8 p.m.) was lucky No. 14 followed by Maddow.

Week of September 16 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen Live+SD data):