Sean Hannity Tops Rachel Maddow in Friday Ratings, CNN Notches Total Day Demo Win

Fox’s Sean Hannity beat MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in both total viewers and in the key demographic of viewers age 25-54 Friday, helping boost Fox News to viewership wins in prime time, as the annual CPAC convention got underway in Florida. CNN averaged the most viewers in the demo in total day, while Fox was most-watched overall.

In the 9 p.m. hour Friday, Hannity had 2.68 million total viewers, and 368,000 in the demo. The Rachel Maddow Show had 2.41 million total viewers and 331,000 in the demo. CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time, also at 9 p.m., was third in the hour, with 1.58 million total viewers and 306,000 in the demo, according to data from Nielsen.

Fox won in total day viewers Friday, averaging 1.54 million total viewers, and was second-highest in the demo in total day, with 219,000. MSNBC was second most-watched overall, with 1.39 million total viewers, and 173,000 in the demo. CNN was first in the demo for total day, averaging 239,000, and was third in total viewers, with 1.04 million.

Fox dominated prime time, with 2.52 million total viewers and 363,000 in the demo. MSNBC was second in total viewers, with 1.98 million, and third in the demo, with 265,000. CNN had the fewest average total viewers, with 1.38 million, and was second in the demo, with 293,000.

Tucker Carlson Tonight was the most-watched show overall, with 2.85 million total viewers, and was also first in the demo, with 436,000. The Five was second, with nearly 2.7 million total viewers, and 303,000 in the demo. Hannity was the third most-watched cable news show of the day, and second in the demo, while Anderson Cooper 360 had the third-highest viewership in the demo, with 337,000, and 1.54 million total viewers.

MSNBC’s Morning Joe won the early morning in total viewers, with 1.29 million, and was second in the demo, with 165,000. Fox and Friends was second in total viewers, averaging 1.16 million, and topped the demo, with 186,000. CNN’s New Day was third, averaging 622,000 total viewers, and 137,000 in the demo.