MSNBC Primetime Viewership: 1 Million+ Achieved
- Fox news Channel continues to hold its position as the leading cable news network, drawing nearly 3 million viewers in prime time.
- MSNBC also surpassed the million-viewer mark during prime time.CNN, in contrast, saw its highest viewership with "Anderson Cooper 360" at 8 p.m.
- For the total day,Fox News averaged 203,000 viewers in that demographic,compared to CNN's 55,000 and MSNBC's 59,000.
Fox News continues to dominate cable news ratings,yet MSNBC‘s primetime viewership made critically important gains,with “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” taking the top spot in total viewership across all cable news shows,demonstrating a key shift in the competitive landscape. While fox News Channel secured the lead, drawing nearly 3 million viewers during prime time, MSNBC also achieved the milestone of reaching over 1 million viewers. Anderson cooper’s CNN show lagged slightly behind. This analysis, brought to you by News Directory 3, examines the latest cable news ratings data, especially within the 25-54 demographic. Discover what’s next as these networks continually refine their strategies.
Fox News Leads Cable News Ratings, O’Donnell Scores Top Spot
Updated May 31, 2025
Fox news Channel continues to hold its position as the leading cable news network, drawing nearly 3 million viewers in prime time. “The Five” emerged as Fox’s most-watched program. however, MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell,” airing at 10 p.m. ET, secured the highest total viewership across all cable news shows.
MSNBC also surpassed the million-viewer mark during prime time.CNN, in contrast, saw its highest viewership with “Anderson Cooper 360” at 8 p.m. ET, though the show attracted fewer than 600,000 viewers.
In the key 25-54 demographic, Fox News also led. For the total day,Fox News averaged 203,000 viewers in that demographic,compared to CNN’s 55,000 and MSNBC’s 59,000. During prime time, Fox News averaged 318,000, while CNN had 90,000 and MSNBC 83,000.
| FNC: | CNN: | MSNBC: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4PM | Cain: 256 | hunt: 55 | wallace: 93 |
| 5PM | Five: 399 | Tapper: 79 | Wallace: 112 |
| 6pm | Baier: 254 | Tapper: 65 | Melber: 78 |
| 7pm | Ingraham: 260 | Burnett: 83 | Weeknight: 72 |
| 8PM | Watters: 371 | Cooper: 95 | Hayes: 69 |
| 9PM | Hannity: 262 | Collins: 75 | Psaki: 74 |
| 10PM | Gutfeld!: 321 | Phillip: 98 | O’Donnell: 106 |
| 11PM | gallagher: 192 | Coates: 84 | Ruhle: 81 |
| FNC: | CNN: | MSNBC: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4PM | Cain: 1.819 | Hunt: 408 | Wallace: 1.116 |
| 5PM | Five: 3.556 | Tapper: 415 | Wallace: 1.082 |
| 6pm | Baier: 2.596 | Tapper: 360 | Melber: 945 |
| 7pm | Ingraham: 2.341 | Burnett: 537 | weeknight: 740 |
| 8PM | Watters: 3.280 | Cooper: 592 | Hayes: 850 |
| 9PM | Hannity: 2.664 | Collins: 486 | Psaki: 1.047 |
| 10PM | Gutfeld!: 3.041 | Phillip: 438 | O’Donnell: 1.193 |
| 11PM | Gallagher: 1.520 | Coates: 271 | Ruhle: 711 |
What’s next
Cable news networks will continue to vie for viewership, adjusting their programming and strategies to attract audiences in a competitive media landscape. The role of key demographics will remain a crucial factor in advertising revenue and overall success.