Breaking News | October 30, 2023
Posts Double-Digit A25-54 and Total Viewership Gains in All Key Dayparts Versus Prior Month and Prior Year
Continues to Cut Into FOX News Channel’s Lead Among A25-54 and Total Viewers
“Morning Joe” Beats CNN in A25-54 for 18 Straight Months and Total Viewers for 104 Straight Months, Ranks #1 in Cable in NY and D.C.
“The Rachel Maddow Show” #1 Cable News Program on Mondays at 9pm
MSNBC Primetime Lineup Tops CNN for 83rd Consecutive Month, Expands Advantage Versus a Year Ago
MSNBC Reports Beats CNN in Dayside for 13th Straight Month, Draws Largest Audience Since April 2021
MSNBC Posts Double-Digit Viewership Gains on Weekends in A25-54 and Total Viewers
Most Loyal, Engaged Audience in All of TV
#1 Cable Destination Among Black and Asian Viewers
MSNBC Digital Had Its Strongest Quarter Since 2020, Growing More Than 40% Year-Over-Year
MSNBC Digital Ranks #1 in Total Consumption Among Political News Sites
MSNBC Consumption Near Historical Highs on Peacock and TikTok
MSNBC Expected to Surpass CNN On YouTube for 7th Straight Month
(NEW YORK – Oct. 30, 2023) – MSNBC ratings surged in October, with the network posting the largest year-over-year viewership growth of any cable network in both A25-54 and total viewers in total day, according to Nielsen data. During a month that included the Israel-Hamas war, former President Trump’s civil fraud trial, and the ouster and replacement of the Republican Speaker of the House, MSNBC swept CNN for the 19th straight month in total viewers and posted double-digit viewership gains in A25-54 and total viewers across all key dayparts versus the prior month (September 2023) and prior year (October 2022).
MSNBC posted double-digit ratings gains among total viewers and A25-54 across all key dayparts, while FOX News suffered year-over-year declines. MSNBC viewership increased in total day (MSNBC’s +23% total viewers & +26% A25-54 vs. FOX News -7% total viewers & -14% A25-54), prime (+18% total viewers & +20% A25-54 vs. FOX News -5% total viewers & -10% A25-54), dayside (+23% total viewers & +21% A25-54 vs. FOX News -0.4% total viewers & -9% A25-54), and mornings (+25% total viewers & +29% A25-54 vs. FOX News -13% total viewers & -28% A25-54) compared to October 2022. MSNBC slashed the viewership gap between MSNBC and FOX News by nearly 40% among total viewers and A25-54.
Compared to CNN, MSNBC drew +53% more total viewers and had a larger viewer advantage over CNN than a year ago (+41% in Oct. 2022). MSNBC total day averaged 922K total viewers (vs. CNN’s 603K), with MSNBC adding more viewers year over year than any other cable network in both total viewers (+165K) and A25-54 (+20K). This was MSNBC’s 2nd most-watched month in total viewers since 2021, second only to MSNBC’s highly rated August 2023 (949K).
In prime (M-F 8-11pm), MSNBC beat CNN for the 83rd straight month in total viewers, more than doubling CNN (1.7M vs. CNN’s 784K) and posting a larger advantage than a year ago (+113%). MSNBC’s primetime lineup continues to regularly draw twice as many Independents and Republicans as CNN, according to data from Nielsen MRI Fusion.
“Morning Joe” (M-F 6-10am) continues to dominate CNN in the mornings, beating CNN in A25-54 for the 18th straight month (129K vs. CNN’s 94K) and in total viewers for the 104th straight month (1.1M vs CNN’s 458K). “Morning Joe” delivered double-digit, year-over-year growth among both total viewers (+26%) and A25-54 (+29%) while CNN’s morning viewership remained flat and FOX News suffered double-digit declines. “Morning Joe” was the #1 cable morning program among women in October (594K vs. CNN’s 206K vs. FOX News’ 567K). It was also the #1 cable morning program in New York for the 17th consecutive month and in Washington D.C. for the 18th consecutive month.
“The Rachel Maddow Show” (Mondays at 9pm) was the #1 cable news program in its time slot in total viewers, averaging 2.5M viewers (vs. FOX News’ 2.1M and CNN’s 578K), +15% year over year. “Maddow” is the most-watched primetime cable news program when including DVR playback. It is also the most “DVR’d” show in cable news, with more time-shifted viewers (1.1M) than FOX News’ “Gutfeld!” (673K), “The Five” (598K), and “Jesse Watters Primetime” (485K). Maddow’s most recent book, “Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism,” which is based on research from the MSNBC original podcast “Rachel Maddow Presents: Ultra,” debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller List.
In dayside (M-F 10am-4pm), MSNBC was #2 in all of cable in total viewers. “MSNBC Reports” topped CNN for the 14th consecutive month in total viewers (976K vs. CNN’s 812K), drawing its largest audience in total viewers since April 2021 and in A25-54 since April 2023.
MSNBC weekends (Sa-Su 6am-2am) posted double-digit viewership gains in total viewers and A25-54 both year over year (+28%; +30%) and month over month (+13%; +21%). In addition, MSNBC weekend prime (Sa-Su 8-11pm) delivered its 7th consecutive month of double digit year over year viewership growth in total viewers and A25-54.
MSNBC has the most loyal and engaged weekday audience in cable news. According to Nielsen data for October, the average MSNBC viewer watched the network for more than 9.2 hours per week, nearly doubling CNN’s viewer average (4.8 hours).
MSNBC’s programming attracts the most diverse cable audience in America. In October, MSNBC was the #1 network across all of cable among Black and Asian viewers. MSNBC has ranked #1 in cable news among Black viewers for 33 straight months and among Asian viewers for 8 straight months. MSNBC is home to the 15 highest-rated cable news programs among Black Americans. Across all of cable, MSNBC had 10 of the Top 20 programs among Black viewers in October: “The ReidOut with Joy Reid,” “The Rachel Maddow Show,” “All In with Chris Hayes,” “The Beat with Ari Melber,” “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” “Alex Wagner Tonight,” “Deadline: White House,” “Inside with Jen Psaki,” “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle,” and “Morning Joe.” Additionally, MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation with Al Sharpton” had the highest concentration of Black viewers (38%) of any program on cable news.
MSNBC Digital in Q3 2023 had its strongest quarter since 2020, growing 41% year-over-year. August and September 2023 are MSNBC’s strongest months since 2021 with each month growing by more than 40% year-over-year. MSNBC ranked as one of the top three Political News destinations in September based on monthly unique visitors, in addition to continuing to rank #1 based on total minutes.
In October, MSNBC Digital saw elevated consumption levels across multiple digital platforms, including YouTube and TikTok. On YouTube, MSNBC delivered more than 200 million video views for the 3rd straight month and surpassed CNN for the 7th consecutive month. On TikTok, MSNBC is pacing to have one of its best months on record with more than 50 million video views.
On Peacock, MSNBC is pacing to have its 2nd best month ever with triple-digit year-over-year growth. The last six months have been the brand’s strongest months ever on the platform.
The following programs extended MSNBC’s winning streaks over CNN during their respective time slots:
- “Way Too Early” at 5am: 19 straight months in total viewers
- “Morning Joe” from 6-10am: 104 straight months in total viewers; 18 straight months in A25-54
- “Ana Cabrera Reports” at 10am; 17 straight months in total viewers
- “José Díaz-Balart Reports” at 11am: 8 straight months in total viewers
- “Andrea Mitchell Reports” at 12pm: 11 straight months in total viewers
- “Chris Jansing Reports” from 1pm-3pm: 17 straight months in total viewers
- “Katy Tur Reports” at 3pm: 18 straight months in total viewers
- “Deadline: White House” from 4-6pm: 76 straight months in total viewers
- “The Beat with Ari Melber” at 6pm: 42 straight months in total viewers
- “The ReidOut with Joy Reid” at 7pm: 19 straight months in total viewers
- “Inside with Jen Psaki” Mondays at 8pm in total viewers
- Premiered on Monday nights at 8pm on September 25th
- Averaged 1.475M total viewers in its first month, +81% more total viewers than CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” (816K)
- Improved MSNBC’s time period norm by +8% versus the prior month
- “All In with Chris Hayes” at 8pm: 19 straight months in total viewers
- “The Rachel Maddow Show” at 9pm: 125 straight months in total viewers; 19 straight months in A25-54
- #1 in cable news among total viewers on Mondays at 9pm for the 5th month in a row
- #1 non-sports program in all of cable on Monday nights at 9pm among total viewers
- Most-watched primetime cable news program when including DVR playback
- “Alex Wagner Tonight” at 9pm: 15 straight months in total viewers
- “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” at 10pm: 101 straight months in total viewers
- “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle” at 11pm: 87 straight months in total viewers
- “The Katie Phang Show” Weekends at 8am:for the 4nd month in a row in total viewers
- “Velshi” Weekends from 10am-12pm: 7 straight months in total viewers
- “Alex Witt Reports” Saturdays from 12pm-2pm and Sundays from 1pm-2pm: 7 straight months in total viewers
- “Inside with Jen Psaki” Sundays at 12pm; 8 straight months in total viewers
TV Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. October 2023 ratings data through 10/26 (32 of 35 days in the Nielsen month). Average audience based on Total Day (6am-6am), Persons 2+, unless indicated. Program averages exclude repeats. Time-shifted viewers = non-Live viewers, watching via DVR up to 7 days after original air date. Engagement claim based on data through 10/22/23.
Source: Comscore Media Metrix®, April 2021 – September 2023, U.S. desktop internet population 2+ and mobile internet population 13+ years old. ListenFirst, October 2023, YouTube and TikTok video views. DAVD, October 2023, Peacock hours viewed.
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MSNBC Press Contact:
Lorie Acio
Hollie Tracz
Natalie Munio
