Fox News Maintains Lead in Election Coverage
On election night, Fox News claimed victory in the TV ratings competition, outperforming CNN and MSNBC for a second consecutive presidential results broadcast. According to Nielsen data, Fox News attracted 10.3 million viewers during the 8 to 11 p.m. Eastern time slot on Tuesday.
CNN’s Viewership Slips, Trails MSNBC
MSNBC, led by Rachel Maddow’s coverage, drew an average of 6 million viewers, surpassing CNN’s 5.1 million. This marked the first time CNN, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, fell behind MSNBC for presidential election coverage. CNN’s ratings plummeted by nearly 50% compared to the 9.6 million viewers it reached during the 2020 presidential election.
Fox News Sees Slight Dip from 2020 Numbers
Fox News’s election night broadcast, anchored by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, saw a slight decline from the 13.8 million viewers it drew in 2020. MSNBC also experienced a drop from its 2020 audience of 7.3 million.
Broadcast Networks’ Viewership Totals
Among traditional broadcast networks, ABC garnered 5.7 million viewers, followed by NBC with 5.3 million, and CBS at 3.5 million, Nielsen reported.
Overall TV Viewership Down from 2020
The total television audience for the election results, which featured former President Trump defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, was significantly lower than in 2020. Nielsen recorded 42.3 million viewers across 18 measured networks, a 25% decrease from the previous cycle. The protracted nature of the 2020 election, where the result was confirmed days later in favor of Democrat Joe Biden, contributed to higher viewership at that time. This year, Trump’s victory was reported early on Wednesday by most media outlets.
Shifting Viewing Habits Impact Ratings
The decline in viewership reflects a trend of audiences, particularly those under 50, shifting away from traditional TV in favor of streaming services and social media for news consumption. Fox News reported that its digital platforms accumulated 47.2 million views between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m. ET. Meanwhile, MSNBC announced that its YouTube channel achieved a record 30 million video views on election day.
