Left-wing networks faced a wave of bad news as former President Donald Trump surged to victory in the Nov. 5 election, as the majority of hosts and guests were pulling for Vice President Kamala Harris to win.
Now, they’re grappling with another troubling development: their viewers are disappearing in large numbers.
Nielsen ratings data revealed that MSNBC, home to prominent left-leaning hosts like Rachel Maddow and Joy Reid, saw a steep 23 percent decline in viewership on Thursday last week compared to the same day in 2023, according to Mediaite, a liberal site that covers media industry news.
At CNN, the news was even worse, with ratings dropping by 43 percent on Thursday, according to Mediaite.
Trump’s landslide victory has viewers tuning out: MSNBC & CNN see drastic viewership drop post-election. Thursday’s numbers show MSNBC at 596k total (71k 25-54 demo), CNN at 419k total (91k 25-54 demo). Networks face their lowest primetime ratings, with MSNBC down 23% and CNN… pic.twitter.com/ERbE0kOczG
— Grim (@MadWokeNews) November 12, 2024
The primetime news ratings for both networks were equally disappointing, with MSNBC’s primetime viewership dropping by 54 percent and CNN’s by 30 percent compared to the same day a year ago, according to Mediaite.
Driving the decline was MSNBC host Alex Wagner, whose Alex Wagner Tonight recorded its lowest ratings since its debut in August 2022.
Meanwhile, Chris Hayes, known for his conservative critiques, saw his show hit its worst ratings since May 2016—before the first Trump presidency even began.
To make matters worse for the two left-wing networks, right-leaning Fox News’ Thursday ratings soared by 60 percent compared to November 7, 2023, according to Mediaite.
The trend continued into the last day of the workweek, with similar results, Mediaite reported.
“On Friday, seven MSNBC programs recorded their lowest Friday ratings for the year as the network also saw its lowest-rated Friday prime time programming of the year — outside of holiday weekends,” the outlet noted.
The MSNBC meltdown comes just days after it surpassed its progressive competitor, CNN, according to Mediaite.
On Election Day, MSNBC drew 6 million viewers, far outpacing CNN’s 5.1 million, offering some insight into where liberal viewers were turning for their news. However, neither network came close to challenging Fox News’ dominance. The network recorded 10.3 million viewers on Tuesday, according to Mediaite.
“MSNBC’s inability to keep its audience tuned in throughout the week signals a potential mood shift on the left as hope for a Kamala Harris victory has quickly soured into defeat and anxiety while awaiting Donald Trump’s return to power in January,” Mediaite noted.
Meanwhile, Chris Wallace has announced yet another career change after leaving Fox News a few years ago and moving to CNN, where his audience share decreased dramatically.
“The 77-year-old broadcaster said he will instead find a new home on an independent platform such as streaming or podcasting, which he described as ‘where the action seems to be,’” The Daily Beast reported.
“He highlighted how podcasters including Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God had set the agenda during the presidential election, but added, ‘I don’t flatter myself to think I will have that sort of reach,’” the outlet continued.
Wallace’s surprising decision to walk away from CNN at the end of his three-year, seven-figure contract rather than renegotiate marks a pivotal moment for cable TV. This move comes as other anchors face potential layoffs or salary cuts amid declining ratings and the financial strain caused by cord-cutting in the industry, the outlet noted further.
Wallace was a prominent figure in CNN’s election night coverage last week, accurately predicting that Kamala Harris would need a “miracle” to win as the first exit polls revealed the extent of her electoral challenges. He joined CNN in 2021 after spending 18 years at Fox News, where he conducted multiple interviews with Donald Trump and was widely criticized for the way he tried to fact-check Trump but not Joe Biden during a 2020 presidential debate.
“This is the first time in 55 years I‘ve been between jobs,” he told The Daily Beast. “I am actually excited and liberated by that.”
