CNN Drops To Fourth Place In Prime Time Friday Night, Behind Newsmax

Just days after CNN scored a rare first-place finish in prime time with its town hall session featuring former President Donald Trump, the network dropped into fourth place Friday night, trailing conservative network Newsmax. CNN delivered an average total audience of 335,000 viewers in prime Friday, just behind Newsmax’s 357,000 viewers. Fox News finished first in prime with 1.44 million viewers, and MSNBC was second overall with 1.084 million viewers.

Among viewers 25-54, the demographic group most valued by advertisers, CNN climbed to third place, with an average audience of 87,000 viewers. Fox News was first in the key demo with 109,000 viewers, followed by MSNBC (98,000 viewers). Newsmax was fourth with 45,000 viewers.

Each of CNN’s prime time hours trailed the competition on Newsmax Friday, with Anderson Cooper 360 delivering a total audience of 447,000 viewers at 8 p.m. ET, taking fourth place behind Fox News Channel’s Fox News Tonight (1.302 million viewers), MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes (1.076 million viewers), and Newsmax’s Eric Bolling (467,000 viewers). At 9 p.m. ET, FNC’s Hannity was first with 1.606 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight (1.207 million viewers), Newsmax’s Chris Plante (325,000 viewers) and CNN’s The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (293,000 viewers).

At 10 p.m. ET, the pattern continued, with Fox News Channel’s The Ingraham Angle winning the hour with 1.413 million viewers, followed by The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (969,000 viewers), Newsmax’s Greg Kelly Reports (278,000 viewers) and CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace (263,000 viewers).

CNN did better in the key demo, with 8 p.m.’s Anderson Cooper 360 finishing in second place overall Friday night, delivering an average audience of 103,000 viewers. Fox News Channel’s Fox News Tonight took first with 136,000 viewers, followed by MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes in third place (100,000 viewers) and Newsmax’s Eric Bolling (53,000 viewers).

MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight won the 9 p.m. ET hour in the key demo, with 105,000 viewers, followed by FNC’s Hannity (96,000 viewers), CNN’s The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (85,000 viewers) and Newsmax’s Chris Plante (35,000 viewers).