Fox News Ratings Up; MSNBC and CNN Crater as Dems Give Up on News
Recent findings indicate that following President Donald Trump’s election victory, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has experienced a significant decline in viewership.
"The Rachel Maddow Show" has seen a 43% drop in audience numbers since Trump decisively defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Currently, the show averages only 1.4 million viewers.
Analysts determined this decline by comparing the show’s average audience from January 1, 2024, through Election Day to its average audience after November 6, 2024.
Maddow reduced "The Rachel Maddow Show" to a once-a-week program in 2022 to "pursue other projects," despite earning a substantial salary. She recently signed a new agreement that ensures she remains a key figure at MSNBC.
The decline in viewership is even more pronounced among the 25–54 demographic. According to OAN, since the election, Maddow has lost 56% of viewers in this highly valued advertising group, with her audience in that category now averaging just 103,000. This decline is significant since advertisers prioritize this demographic.
At its height, "The Rachel Maddow Show" aired five nights a week and was among the most-watched news programs on television. However, for the past two years, Maddow has only hosted on Monday nights, handing over the 9 p.m. ET slot to Alex Wagner for the remainder of the week. Interestingly, Wagner recorded her lowest-rated week ever last week.
Maddow’s primary role at MSNBC now involves covering major events, such as Election Night, while she spends much of her time on other projects.
Under her previous contract, Maddow was reportedly making $30 million per year. However, The Ankler reported that her new five-year contract is valued at $25 million annually, though insiders at MSNBC dispute these figures.
Joe Concha, a media analyst for Fox News, noted that Maddow’s ratings decline isn’t surprising post-election, as she has been a vocal supporter of Kamala Harris.
"MSNBC still gave her $25 million to work one night a week, which I found strange. The result on her investment is that she comes in far behind Sean Hannity at 9 p.m. Is that cash well spent?" Concha told Fox News Digital. "That’s not a real question."
Maddow has built her reputation on consistently criticizing Donald Trump. For instance, she previously promoted claims about Trump’s ties to Russia, which were later discredited.
"The Rachel Maddow Show" had an audience of approximately 2.5 million in 2017, 2.9 million in 2018, 2.8 million in 2019, and peaked at 3.2 million in 2020, a time when Trump was a central focus of left-wing discourse. However, Maddow scaled back her workload in 2021 after an extended break.
Before the 2024 election, Maddow claimed that Trump "would be a dictator" if reelected.
Since Trump’s victory, MSNBC’s overall viewership has plummeted. Maddow’s program has also seen a sharp decline, even falling behind a rerun of "Ancient Aliens."
CNN has also suffered a ratings decline, averaging just 357,000 daily viewers, with 65,000 in the key demographic, according to The Independent.
Both networks have struggled during prime-time hours. MSNBC’s prime-time viewership has fallen by 52% to 644,000, with only 63,000 in the 25–54 demographic. Meanwhile, CNN’s prime-time audience stands at 453,000, down 39% from the previous year.
Conversely, Fox News has experienced a 24% increase in viewership since the election, averaging 3 million prime-time viewers, reinforcing its dominance in cable news.
"They had to keep her because this is a tough time," an MSNBC official told The Ankler about Maddow. "She does things that no one else can." Another insider referred to Maddow as "ratings Viagra," emphasizing her impact.
Several influential figures in left-wing politics have expressed that they are "optimistic" about Trump’s presidency.
Cenk Uygur, the founder and host of "The Young Turks" podcast, has shifted his perspective on the MAGA movement. He now believes the "enemy" is not Trump supporters, but rather the political establishment.