Cable News Ratings Thursday, September 16: MSNBC Almost Doubles CNN in Primetime Total Viewers

By Mediaite Staff Sep 17th, 2021, 5:06 pm  

Fox News continued to dominate in the cable news ratings Thursday, but between the other two big networks, MSNBC almost doubled CNN in total viewers in primetime.

CNN was third in primetime with 885,000 total viewers, while MSNBC took second with 1.7 million. Fox News took first overall with 3 million.

CNN did narrowly beat out MSNBC in the 25-54 viewer demographic in primetime, 196,000 to 185,000. Fox again took the top spot with 476,000.

MSNBC’s highest-rated show continued to be Rachel Maddow at 9 pm, with 2.23 million total viewers and 259,000 in the demo. The 9 pm hour on CNN garnered 910,000 total viewers and 194,000 in the demo.

Here is a full breakdown of Wednesday’s cable news ratings by show:

Total Viewers (thousands)

ET FNC CNN MSNBC NEWSMAX NEWSNATION
6a FOX AND FRIENDS:
915		 NEW DAY:
321		 MORNING JOE:
862		 DICK MORRIS DEMOCRACY:
24		 —
7a FOX AND FRIENDS:
1302		 NEW DAY:
447		 — WAKE UP AMERICA:
116		 —
8a FOX AND FRIENDS:
1705		 NEW DAY:
512		 — — —
9a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
1653		 CNN NEWSROOM:
613		 STEPHANIE RUHLE REPORTS:
823		 NATIONAL REPORT:
212		 —
10a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
1568		 CNN NEWSROOM:
687		 HALLIE JACKSON REPORTS:
790		 — —
11a FAULKNER FOCUS, THE:
1614		 AT THIS HOUR:
579		 CRAIG MELVIN REPORTS:
630		 — —
12p OUTNUMBERED:
1624		 INSIDE POLITICS:
702		 ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS:
655		 JOHN BACHMAN NOW:
212		 —
1p AMERICA REPORTS:
1471		 CNN NEWSROOM:
738		 MTP DAILY:
627		 — —
2p AMERICA REPORTS:
1520		 CNN NEWSROOM:
808		 MSNBC PRESS CONFERENCE:
695		 AMERICAN AGENDA:
242		 —
3p STORY, THE:
1597		 CNN NEWSROOM:
762		 AYMAN MOHYELDIN REPORTS:
735		 — —
4p YOUR WORLD W/NEIL CAVUTO:
1495		 LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER:
784		 DEADLINE:WHITE HOUSE:
1289		 ERIC BOLLING THE BALANCE:
294		 —
5p FIVE, THE:
3045		 SITUATION ROOM:
737		 — CHRIS SALCEDO SHOW, THE:
305		 —
6p SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER:
2331		 SITUATION ROOM:
661		 BEAT W/ARI MELBER:
1084		 SPICER & CO:
298		 NEWSNATION: RUSH HOUR:
99
7p FOX NEWS PRIMETIME:
1963		 ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT:
789		 REIDOUT:
1101		 GREG KELLY REPORTS:
389		 DONLON REPORT, THE:
25
8p TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT:
3274		 ANDERSON COOPER 360:
1007		 ALL IN W/ CHRIS HAYES:
1342		 STINCHFIELD:
252		 ON BALANCE W/ VITTERT:
20
9p HANNITY:
3171		 ANDERSON COOPER 360:
910		 RACHEL MADDOW SHOW:
2231		 CORTES & PELLEGRINO:
151		 NEWSNATION PRIME:
25
10p INGRAHAM ANGLE, THE:
2531		 DON LEMON TONIGHT:
737		 LAST WORD W/ L. ODONNELL:
1534		 ROB SCHMITT TONIGHT:
137		 BANFIELD:
25
11p GUTFELD!:
1817		 DON LEMON TONIGHT:
450		 11TH HOUR W/B. WILLIAMS:
1078		 GREG KELLY REPORTS:
110		 DONLON REPORT, THE:
7

25-54 Demo (thousands)

ET FNC CNN MSNBC NEWSMAX NEWSNATION
6a FOX AND FRIENDS:
132		 NEW DAY:
57		 MORNING JOE:
97		 DICK MORRIS DEMOCRACY:
5		 —
7a FOX AND FRIENDS:
189		 NEW DAY:
84		 — WAKE UP AMERICA:
16		 —
8a FOX AND FRIENDS:
203		 NEW DAY:
111		 — — —
9a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
206		 CNN NEWSROOM:
122		 STEPHANIE RUHLE REPORTS:
93		 NATIONAL REPORT:
22		 —
10a AMERICAS NEWSROOM:
211		 CNN NEWSROOM:
136		 HALLIE JACKSON REPORTS:
91		 — —
11a FAULKNER FOCUS, THE:
209		 AT THIS HOUR:
123		 CRAIG MELVIN REPORTS:
78		 — —
12p OUTNUMBERED:
219		 INSIDE POLITICS:
131		 ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS:
55		 JOHN BACHMAN NOW:
23		 —
1p AMERICA REPORTS:
201		 CNN NEWSROOM:
124		 MTP DAILY:
62		 — —
2p AMERICA REPORTS:
238		 CNN NEWSROOM:
169		 MSNBC PRESS CONFERENCE:
70		 AMERICAN AGENDA:
28		 —
3p STORY, THE:
243		 CNN NEWSROOM:
152		 AYMAN MOHYELDIN REPORTS:
101		 — —
4p YOUR WORLD W/NEIL CAVUTO:
225		 LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER:
136		 DEADLINE:WHITE HOUSE:
138		 ERIC BOLLING THE BALANCE:
38		 —
5p FIVE, THE:
414		 SITUATION ROOM:
134		 — CHRIS SALCEDO SHOW, THE:
34		 —
6p SPECIAL RPT W/BRET BAIER:
319		 SITUATION ROOM:
131		 BEAT W/ARI MELBER:
94		 SPICER & CO:
39		 NEWSNATION: RUSH HOUR:
8
7p FOX NEWS PRIMETIME:
349		 ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT:
195		 REIDOUT:
133		 GREG KELLY REPORTS:
29		 DONLON REPORT, THE:
1
8p TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT:
544		 ANDERSON COOPER 360:
228		 ALL IN W/ CHRIS HAYES:
149		 STINCHFIELD:
34		 ON BALANCE W/ VITTERT:
0
9p HANNITY:
514		 ANDERSON COOPER 360:
194		 RACHEL MADDOW SHOW:
259		 CORTES & PELLEGRINO:
14		 NEWSNATION PRIME:
4
10p INGRAHAM ANGLE, THE:
370		 DON LEMON TONIGHT:
166		 LAST WORD W/ L. ODONNELL:
148		 ROB SCHMITT TONIGHT:
19		 BANFIELD:
4
11p GUTFELD!:
295		 DON LEMON TONIGHT:
122		 11TH HOUR W/B. WILLIAMS:
138		 GREG KELLY REPORTS:
22		 DONLON REPORT, THE:
1

As for the three cable news networks overall, here are the total day averages in total viewers and the 25-54 category.

Total viewers:

Fox News: 1.75 million

MSNBC: 958,000

CNN: 635,000

25-54 Demo:

Fox News: 267,000

CNN: 132,000

MSNBC: 108,000

Here are the prime time averages— encompassing shows which air from 8-11 p.m. — in total viewers and the 25-54 demo.

Total viewers:

Fox News: 3 million

MSNBC: 1.7 million

CNN: 885,000

25-54 Demo:

Fox News: 476,000

CNN: 196,000

MSNBC: 185,000

For more ratings information and analysis go to ShowBuzz Daily.

Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com

https://www.mediaite.com/daily-ratings/cable-news-ratings-thursday-september-16-msnbc-almost-doubles-cnn-in-primetime-total-viewers/