Week of September 9 Cable News Ratings: A Historic Debate Lifts All Boats

This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of September 9, 2024.

What a difference a historic presidential debate makes. After a sleepy post-Labor Day week, the big three cable networks saw double digit week-to-week and year-to-year gains courtesy of the Sept. 10 match-up between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. That ABC News-hosted debate attracted over 67 million viewers across 17 outlets, including broadcast, cable and digital platforms.

Fox News saw the biggest viewership during Debate Week, but the biggest gains were posted by MSNBC and CNN, with the former network finishing in the No. 2 spot in every measured category except the primetime Adults 25-54 demo. As of now, Harris and Trump are unlikely to share a debate stage again, but a rematch would almost certainly continue to lift all boats.

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According to Nielsen live plus same-day data, Fox News saw its primetime viewership rise to 3.145 million total viewers and 470,000 A25-54 viewers for week-to-week gains of +41% and +70% in both of those categories. Total day numbers were 1.576 million viewers in the former category and 229,000 in the latter for bumps of +16% and +30%, respectively. On Debate Night, FNC finished first among cable outlets with both total viewers and the demo.

On the basic cable charts, Fox News held onto the top spot among total primetime viewers and stayed second in the primetime demo. It repeated in both of those positions across total day.

MSNBC enjoyed the biggest week-to-week primetime gains with an audience of 2.088 million total viewers and 284,000 A54-54—a massive +88% and +154% rise over last week. In total day, MSNBC saw 1.158 million total viewers and 136,000 demo viewers for surges of +38% and 62%, respectively.

Those results powered the network into the No. 2 spot among all basic cable outlets with total viewers across both dayparts. Demo was a slightly different story as MSNBC finished fourth in primetime behind CNN and ranked third in total day.

CNN’s biggest success story came in the primetime demo, with 303,000 A25-54 viewers tuning in for a +146% gain over last week. Among total primetime viewers, the network—which hosted the June 27 debate between Trump and President Joe Biden that directly led to Harris taking over the ticket—approached the 2 million mark with 1.190 million total viewers for an 80% week-to-week gain. In total day, CNN saw more modest returns with 651,000 total viewers and 135,000 demo viewers, which translates to bumps of +32% and +63%, respectively.

Notable: For the second week in a row, the network was right on the heels of MSNBC in the total day demo with only 1,000 viewers separating them.

While it snuck past MSNBC into the No. 3 spot on the basic cable charts for primetime demo viewers, CNN otherwise had to content itself with fourth-place finishes in primetime total viewers and the total day demo. It ranked third behind its rivals with total viewers across total day.

The debate also inflated year-to-year comps for all three cable outlets. Compared to the same week in 2023 (the week of Sept. 11):

• Fox News was up +80% in primetime total viewers and +146% in the primetime demo. The network also saw gains of +42% and +66% in those respective categories across total day.
• MSNBC posted primetime gains of +66% among total viewers and +145% in the demo. Total day gains were +45% and +56% in both of those categories.
• CNN saw the biggest year-to-year bounces in primetime, with triple-digit gains of +146% in total viewers and +209% among the A25-54 crowd. In total day, it grew +50% and +65% in those respective categories.

Programming:

Fox saw its usual domination of the Top 15 most-watched cable news programs among total viewers challenged by MSNBC last week. While The Five (3.526 million viewers at 5 p.m.) finished first among FNC’s eight overall spots, seven MSNBC shows found their way onto the list led by The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (1.958 million viewers at 10 p.m.) at No. 7.

Over on the Top 15 list of most-watched programs in the demo, FNC improved its standing to 10 slots with Hannity (452,000 viewers at 9 p.m.) leading the way. CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 (273,000 viewers at 8 p.m.) was No. 8, while an average of MSNBC’s All in With Chris Hayes and Inside with Jen Psaki (219,000 viewers at 8 p.m.) ranked in 10th place. CNN had two shows in the Top 15 overall, while MSNBC had three.

Week of September 9 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen Live+SD data):