MSNBC and Fox News TIED for Total Viewers in Thursday Ratings Race

MSNBC and Fox News tied for first in the race for the most viewers in total day Thursday, while MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow took the top spot in viewers. Fox News won with total viewers in prime time, and CNN won in the key demographic of viewers age 25-54 in both total day and prime time.

In total day, Fox and MSNBC both averaged 1.65 million total viewers, with MSNBC pulling slightly ahead in the demo, with 259,000 viewers, compared to Fox’s 257,000, according to Nielsen data. CNN had the fewest total viewers, 1.27 million, but beat the competition in the demo, averaging 306,000 viewers in total day.

Fox continued its winning streak in prime time, with 2.8 million total viewers, and the second-most in the demo, with 470,000. MSNBC wasn’t far behind, with 2.78 million total viewers, but had the fewest in the demo in prime time, 461,000. CNN averaged 1.87 million total viewers in prime time, and was first in the demo, with 505,000.

The Rachel Maddow Show, with 3.47 million total viewers and 569,000 in the demo, was the most-watched in cable news Thursday. Hannity was second, with 3.12 million total viewers, and 491,000 in the demo. Fox’s late-afternoon panel show The Five was the third most-watched show of the day, with 3.07 million total viewers and 392,000 in the demo.

Following Maddow, Tucker Carlson Tonight was the second most-watched in the key demo, with 530,000, and 3.06 million total viewers. Cuomo Prime Time was third in the demo, with 520,000 and 2.05 million total viewers.

In the early morning, MSNBC’s Morning Joe won in both total viewers, with 1.28 million, and in the demo, with 128,000. Fox and Friends was second, with 1.06 million total and 172,000 viewers in the demo. CNN’s New Day was third, with 610,000 total viewers and 137,000 in the demo.