Impeachment Ratings Roundup: MSNBC Most-Watched, CNN Wins the Demo, Fox Tops ABC and CBS
MSNBC was the most-watched channel across the board on Tuesday, the first day of trial in the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump. CNN won big with the valuable demographic of viewers age 25-54, and Fox News topped broadcast networks CBS and ABC’s coverage of the impeachment trial.
From roughly 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., as the trial was underway, MSNBC averaged 2.87 million total viewers, and 481,000 in the demo. CNN was second, averaging 2.68 million total viewers, and had the most, by far, in the demo, with 594,000. Fox was third, with 1.87 million total viewers, and 246,000 in the demo. By comparison, ABC averaged nearly 1.8 million total viewers and 365,000 in the demo, while CBS averaged 1.74 million, and 328,000 in the demo, according to data from Nielsen.
Impeachment coverage boosted MSNBC to win the most total day viewers, with an average of 2.33 million total, and 408,000 in the demo. CNN had 1.94 million total viewers, and the most in the demo, 492,000. Fox was third, with 1.77 million total viewers and 270,000 in the demo.
MSNBC held the top spot in total viewers in prime time, with 3.41 million, and the second-most in the demo, 619,000. Fox outperformed CNN among total viewers in prime time, with 2.72 million, and 433,000 in the demo. CNN, with 2.48 million total viewers, had the most viewers in the demo in prime time, 684,000.
Rachel Maddow was way ahead of all the competition Tuesday, with The Rachel Maddow Show winning the most viewers across all of cable, 4.31 million, and also winning in the demo, with 758,000. Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, also on MSNBC, was the second most-watched in total viewers, with 3.38 million (563,000 in the demo), and Fox’s The Five was the third most-watched show, with 3.28 million total viewers, and 428,000 in the demo.
Aside from Maddow, the most-watched shows among viewers in the demo were on CNN. Cuomo Prime Time had 735,000 demo viewers (2.76 million total), and Anderson Cooper 360 had 692,000 in the demo (2.69 million total).
MSNBC started out strong in the early morning, with Morning Joe winning the most viewers overall, 1.32 million, and the most in the demo, 216,000. Fox and Friends had the second-most total viewers, 1.02 million, and 171,000 in the demo. CNN’s New Day had 797,000 total viewers, and with 215,000 in the demo, was a close second to MSNBC.
