Morning Joe Rides Ratings Win Streak in 6 AM Hour; Fox News Prime Time Rules With 4 Million-Plus Overall Viewers

Morning Joe continued its four-day ratings win streak on Wednesday, while Fox News ruled primetime by surging to more than four million overall viewers for the night.

MSNBC’s flagship morning show won its 6 a.m. time slot once again on Wednesday with 1.35 million viewers overall and 214,000 in the coveted 25 –54 age demographic, good enough to beat out Fox & Friends‘ 1.03 million total viewers and 196,000 in the demo. Morning Joe’s last ratings defeat came nearly a week ago, when F & F nosed out a victory in the demo 230,000 to MJ‘s 211,000. Fox & Friends, however, won overall, placing first across the three hour stretch of 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Big picture, Fox News and CNN again fought to a split decision in the demo, with the former taking primetime with a strong 688,000 viewers (CNN: 440,000; MSNBC: 367,000) and the latter winning a squeaker in daytime with 348,000 viewers (Fox: 330,000; MSNBC: 203,000).

Fox News’ chain of time slot victories continued leading into primetime, as The Five once again provided a ratings tentpole in the early evening with 3.58 million overall and 658,000 in the demo, and Bret Baier’s Special Report held on to almost all of that lead-in with 3.39 million total and 647,000 in the demo. And, after a slight ratings dip on Tuesday, Fox News’ dueling primetime champs, Tucker Carlson Tonight and Hannity, both surged back up over 4.4 million overall viewers on Wednesday (724,000 and 654,000 in the demo, respectively).

Cuomo Prime Time and The Rachel Maddow Show scrapped for second place in the demo at 9 p.m., with the CNN show edging out a win 483,000 to 471,000, while the tables were turned in total viewers, as Maddow won comfortably 3 million to 1.94 million.