MSNBC Slips to Lowest Weekly Prime Time Demo Rating Since 2007
After ending the first quarter of 2014 ahead of CNN in every major ratings category, MSNBC has had a rough start to the month of April. For the week of April 7th-13th, MSNBC averaged just 147K in the coveted 25-54 news demo in prime time, the network’s worst weekly figure since the week of May 21, 2007, when they averaged 142K.
Things were even worse when you factor in the rest of the day. In total day, MSNBC averaged 103K viewers in the demo, which hadn’t happened since the week of October 3, 2011. The last time the network dipped below that number was the week of May 7, 2007, when they averaged 100K in the demo.
Of MSNBC’s prime time hosts, Rachel Maddow was the only one of the three to break 200K in an evening in the demo as she did on Wednesday, April 9th. Every other broadcast of her 9pm show and those of All In with Chris Hayes at 8pm and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell at 10pm drew under 200K viewers in the 25-54 demo.
By contrast, CNN averaged 198K in the prime time demo last week, in part boosted by a strong performance from the second season premiere of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown on Sunday night, which scored 325K viewers in the demo, far ahead of its cable news competition, including Fox. CNN also came out ahead of MSNBC in total day with an average 152K in the demo.
In total viewers, MSNBC kept its edge against CNN in prime time last week, while CNN bested MSNBC in total day. With Fox News still far out in front of the ratings on a regular basis, CNN appears to be making a strong play for second place. Of course, if the news narratives change and the ongoing missing Malaysia Airlines plane story goes away once and for all — because either it comes to a definitive conclusion or viewers lose interest — MSNBC could easily make a comeback.
[photo via NBC]
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