MSNBC took the ratings lead away from reigning cable news king Fox News in February, bringing the most total day viewers of any cable network.
The numbers: MSNBC averaged 1.36 million total day viewers, besting the conservative outlet’s 1.32 million.
- But Fox won in the prime time slot, racking up an average of 2.49 million viewers between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., while MSNBC trailed with an average 2.19 million.
- Despite losing to the other cable giants in total viewership, CNN was the leader in the 25 to 54 age demographic.
- New MSNBC president Rashida Jones thanked the company in an internal note obtained by Mediaite, saying she was “proud of our coverage the past few weeks” and the “excellent journalism and dedication to reporting these important stories.”
Clash of the titans: The right-leaning news giant has faced ratings challenges due to the ascendancy of conservative rivals Newsmax and OAN.
- Former President Donald Trump’s attacks on the network, and his support for Fox’s competitors, haven’t helped either.
- But Fox executives have signaled they plan to stay the course.
- “We fully expect that the overall news audience will normalize, and our share of ratings will dominate,” said Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch on a February earnings call.
