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Fox News Dominates Primetime Ratings
In a surprising turn of events, Fox News has not only maintained its strong presence but has also outperformed live sports broadcasts during weekday primetime in the week of May 12, 2025.
According to the latest Nielsen Live Plus data, Fox News averaged 3 million viewers in primetime, surpassing competitors ABC and TNT, who received 2.9 million and 2.5 million viewers respectively.
This marks a significant achievement as both ABC and TNT showcased live sports including the NHL and NBA playoffs.
MSNBC Struggles to Connect
Contrasting Fox’s success, MSNBC is grappling with declining viewer numbers. After implementing a new primetime lineup, the network recorded an 811,000 average in total viewers, which reflects a downturn of 9% from the previous week.
Their audience in the preferred A25-54 demographic has also shrunk by 13%. These declines are sparking concerns about the network's ability to engage viewers, especially when they are positioned against the successful statistics of Fox News.
CNN's Performance: From Bad to Worse
Meanwhile, CNN continues to face its own difficulties, averaging 405,000 primetime viewers—an 11% decline compared to previous weeks.
With competition stiffening and every network vying for the prime-time spotlight, the network risked dropping in the ranks, landing at 12th in total viewers and 20th in the demo, further emphasizing the challenges they face in attracting and retaining viewership.
Implications of Cable News Ratings
The trends in viewership reflect a broader narrative about the evolving landscape of cable news. As Fox News capitalizes on its strong numbers, networks like MSNBC and CNN must urgently reassess their strategies to capture the attention of viewers amid the competitive backdrop of live event programming.
With viewer habits continually shifting, it becomes increasingly important for news networks to stay relevant and responsive to audience preferences.
Conclusion: Time for Change?
This week’s ratings reveal not just the current state of cable news, but also potentially foretell necessary changes for future programming strategies.
For MSNBC and CNN, finding new ways to engage their audiences could be the key to reversing their trend of declining viewership. As the competition grows fiercer, a re-evaluation of content and audience strategy may just be imperative for survival.
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