‘Morning Joe’ & MSNBC Ratings Reveal Network Has Taken Hit Since Election
The viewing figures for Morning Joe and other MSNBC shows don’t appear to be getting any better following the fallout of Donald Trump‘s presidential election victory in November.
In a report from rival network Fox News, based on figures from Nielsen Media Research, Morning Joe is down 35% among total viewers, averaging 720,000, and down 37% in the key 25-54 demographic. However, Fox News does not specify which figures it is comparing these numbers to.
As previously reported, the morning show hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mike Brzezinski saw a dip in ratings following their meeting with Trump. The Monday, November 20 episode, where the hosts discussed their meeting with the president-elect, brought in 839,000 total viewers and 113,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo, while the Tuesday, November 21 episode dropped to 680,000 total viewers and 76,000 in the key demo.
Despite this dip, Morning Joe has remained relatively steady since. The show averaged 691,000 total viewers during the week of the Trump meeting announcement, which was only a 1.7% decline from the previous week’s average of 703,000. That said, both weeks were down significantly from the show’s previous quarter average of 1.14 million viewers.
Other MSNBC shows aren’t faring so well, however. As reported by Fox News, Alex Wagner Tonight, Inside with Jen Psaki, and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell all recently hit record lows.
During the week of December 2, Alex Wagner Tonight averaged 595,000 total viewers, marking its lowest-rated week since the show’s 2022 debut. Meanwhile, Inside with Jen Psaki averaged 651,000 total viewers, the show’s smallest weekly audience since it launched last year.
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell bucked the trend somewhat, as it increased its total viewership on the week prior. However, it hit a record low among the coveted 25-54 demo.
UPDATE 12/12/24: According to Nielsen ratings, Inside with Jen Psaki aired its most-watched telecast since the election on Monday, December 9, averaging 832,000 total viewers. This was up +17% versus the prior-4-week average.
It was also stated that on the week of 12/2, Alex Wagner Tonight averaged +44% more viewers than CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins and has topped CNN in its timeslot every month since launch. Additionally, The Last Word‘s December 9 edition was up among total viewers and the key demo compared to the week prior.
According to The Daily Beast, a source at MSNBC told the publication that they expected a ratings dip after the election, and they think viewing figures will go back up once Trump is officially sworn in in January.
News networks, in general, are down post-election, with MSNBC down 47% and CNN down 33%. On the week of the Trump meeting announcement, even Fox News saw a small 9% dip. Meanwhile, in prime time, MSNBC lost 52% of its viewers, while CNN dropped 39%.
Morning Joe, Weekdays, 6a/5c, MSNBC
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B
Jesus would call Morning Joe. PHARISEES and puke them out of his mouth.
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B
Well really. Joy is your pick. Wow.
Says a lot about you.
FOX is the only fair news.
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G
Not unless they are black or gay . They don’t realize it’s character that matters to we the people DEI is dead. Stand up with merit and don’t be so close minded!
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G
That’s the reason orange man bad? If you can’t say one thing he is trying to do for America then you should follow them again.
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G
How about being real or unbiased . MSNBC , CNN, ABC , NBC don’t do news they are opinion talking heads. They never say how each side sucks or how they are doing for us , remember the voters. You want us fighting so we don’t agree on the things that are important, family, the love of core values cause when we do that you politicians and media will be out and off the air.
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G
Ditto
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P
If you guys would divorce your labels, you might see more and discern more. But maybe not.
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P
Crime is up in red states, Trump killed the best bipartisan immigration bill in 30 years, and in 2020 he initiated a coup on Tv and we all wAtched, and we all saw the classified papers at his home in Florida, and he was convicted by a jury of his peers in New York. If you break the law, you get prosecuted. Biden did not politically prosecute anyone. But Donald Trump told us he would be on a revenge tour when he got back in the White House and that is exactly what he's doing. When you lose the rule of law you have a country that isn't quite fit to live in.
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O
I won't watch anymore either..
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O
I was an every morning Morning Joe watcher. And MSNBC was on all day in my house .v Never again, after their visit with the jerk . Meidas Touch is my go to news source now …..
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O
Zz
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C
I also stopped watching news, canceled subscriptions, post election and have not returned as of February 2nd. But stopped with Morning Joe before that. Mika clutched her pearls if anyone even remotely hinted at a criticism for Joe Biden. And I have to think guests must be paid well to be on show and get maybe 5 words out before Joe interrupts and begins to pontificate about whatever. Next it's break and guest is not seen again. How is that news? I enjoy my morning much more by not feeling like I need to shout at the TV.
I will tune back in to MSNBC at a later date when I can wrap my head around the We the People who actually elected Trump are the majority. That's not an easy thing to do.
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O
Can’t believe how many were duped by these two liars for so long.
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G
I get that Joe and Mika might be concerned about repercussions from the Trump administration. But the glaring hypocrisy of criticizing other pols who have "kissed the ring" is way too much to ignore.
I also can't abide the treatment he gave Michael Steele with the whole discussion about civility towards Trump.
I'm out and I'm guessing some of their more important guests will opt out as well.
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G
Probably not worth commenting at this late stage, but myself and many of my "never Trump" friends are little miffed at msnbc. For months we've been screaming at the television "why aren't you talking more about the good Joe Biden has done?" The economy, the economy, the infrastructure the job creation. The number of bills he's had passed that are positive for our communities. If Trump did all this, Republicans would never stop talking about it. You don't have to be for Joe Biden as president, you can want Harris or another Democrat but you have to build up the backbone of the Democrats and MSNBC failed in that manner. Criticizing trump is not enough, just as all Trump does is criticize democrats. Criticism does not turn into governing or leading which Democrats did during Joe Biden years. That should have been the MSNBC mantra and we continue to eat our own.
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D
I used to watch morning Joe for 4 hours every morning. I will never pay any attention to them again. The t thing accused Joe of Murder and disparaged Mika after a facelift. They spent years talking about Kevin McCarthy and L Graham for “kissing the ring” in deference to the t thing. They did the same. Zero Credibility!!!!
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