DeKalb GA News

Since the 2024 election, CNN and MSNBC have experienced a significant decline in viewership. Joy Reid, a prominent figure at MSNBC, is reportedly considering a pay cut to remain on air. The networks had assured their audiences that former President Donald Trump would not win the election, only to acknowledge his victory on election night. This perceived betrayal led many viewers to abandon these channels.

MSNBC's audience has decreased by more than 50%, while CNN's viewership has dropped by 45%. In contrast, FOX News is the only cable news network that has seen an increase in viewers during this period.

According to post-election prime-time cable ratings shared by Tom Bevan, MSNBC's viewership fell by 54%, CNN's by 45%, while FOX News gained 15% more viewers. "Nearly three out of four viewers of cable news are watching FOX," Bevan noted.

The Associated Press reported that from election night through December 13, MSNBC averaged 620,000 prime-time viewers, a drop of 54% from its pre-election numbers. Similarly, CNN averaged 405,000 viewers, down by 45%. Meanwhile, Fox News Channel averaged 2.68 million viewers post-election, marking a 13% increase according to Nielsen data. "Since the election, 72% of the people watching one of those three cable networks in the evening were watching Fox News," stated Nielsen.

The decline for MSNBC is sharper than it was in 2016. Questions arise about whether opponents of Trump will maintain their engagement as they did during his first term. Additionally, the trend of people disconnecting from cable television continues to accelerate. However, MSNBC believes it has managed to counteract this trend somewhat.

Both CNN and MSNBC face challenges with maintaining their presence in forced cable bundles due to declining ratings.

Kevin McKeever commented on Twitter: "Even these ratings make it hard for cable providers to keep MSNBC and CNN even with the forced cable bundle."

B P (Borimor) added: "Turns out if you lie to everyone all the time, they stop tuning in."

Despite some conservatives no longer watching FOX News, it remains notable that FOX has increased its viewership amidst these shifts. The future survival of MSNBC and CNN appears uncertain given current trends.