MSNBC Ratings Revealed After Name Change Bombshell

MSNBC will be hoping its upcoming rebrand to My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW, will bring about a boost in viewership, as the network’s latest ratings showed a drop in total viewers while rivals Fox News and CNN both posted gains.

According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week of August 11, MSNBC averaged 797,000 total viewers and 74,000 viewers in the key Adults 25-54 demo in primetime. This was down -3% in total viewers compared to the week prior, though the demo was up 1%.

During total day, MSNBC scored an average of 497,000 total viewers and 44,000 in the demo for the week of August 11. This saw drops in both categories compared to the week before, with -5% in total viewers and -8% in the key demo.

In comparison, Fox News averaged 2.342 million total viewers and 245,000 key demo viewers during primetime for the week of August 11. This equated to a 2% gain in total viewers and a 13% gain in the demo compared to the week prior.

For total day, Fox News amassed an average of 1.491 million total viewers and 164,000 demo viewers. The network was also up in both categories compared to the week before, with a 4% rise in total viewers and 7% rise in the demo.

Meanwhile, CNN averaged 467,000 total viewers and 84,000 demo viewers in primetime for the week of August 11. This was up 4% in total viewers and 8% in the key demo in comparison to the week of August 4.

CNN was also up in total day, with an average of 353,000 total viewers and 56,000 demo viewers. This meant gains of 10% in total viewers and 14% in the demo compared to the week before.

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Despite the gains, CNN remained in the third spot when it came to the cable news networks, with MSNBC holding onto second, and Fox News continuing to dominate at the top.

Fox News also controlled the majority of the most-watched cable news shows of the week, with 13 of the top 15 spots belonging to them. The Five held the top spot with 3.450 million viewers at 5 pm ET.

The two non-Fox News shows in the top 15 were MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, which landed at No. 7 with 1.904 million total viewers, and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, which took the No. 15 spot with 1.176 million total viewers.

It was a similar story in the key demo chart, with Fox News claiming 13 of the top 15 spots. The Five again claimed the No. 1 spot with an average of 342,000 viewers, with Maddow at No. 11 with 167,000 demo viewers. However, the other non-Fox News show to crack the top 15 was CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, which landed at No. 15 with 109,000 demo viewers.