NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin hosted a special report on the killing of Charlie Kirk Saturday night.
NewsNation
The upstart cable news network NewsNation scored a prime time ratings victory Saturday night, outperforming established rivals CNN and MSNBC on a night dominated by news coverage of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Among viewers 25-54, the demographic group most valued by advertisers, NewsNation beat MSNBC and CNN throughout prime, with wins at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET.
NewsNation’s Brian Entin anchoring ‘Special Report’ Saturday, which focused on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
NewsNation
At 8 p.m., NewsNation’s Special Report, hosted by senior national correspondent Brian Entin, delivered a total audience of 44,000 viewers in the key demo, ahead of CNN’s Real Time with Bill Maher (38,000 viewers) and MSNBC’s The Weekend Primetime (32,000 viewers). The ratings victory marked the first time NewsNation had beaten both CNN and MSNBC.
“NewsNation is growing its younger audience which tells us that the next generation of viewers is adopting NewsNation as their news of choice,” said Sean Compton, President of Nexstar Networks, NewsNation’s parent company. “We have stayed true to our mission of news with no agenda and it’s paying off.”
OREM, UTAH – SEPTEMBER 10: Charlie Kirk throws hats to the crowd after arriving at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
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Ratings climbed 300% at 8 p.m.
NewsNation’s special, The Killing of Charlie Kirk, averaged 170,000 in total viewers, up 300 percent versus the 8 p.m. hour’s year-to-date ratings average. Among total viewers, NewsNation still trailed behind MSNBC (384,000 total viewers) and CNN (548,000 total viewers).
The network, which launched in 2021, posted significant wins at 7 p.m., when NewsNation Prime with Natasha Zouves (34,000 viewers in the key demo) outdelivered CNN Newsroom (29,000 viewers).
At 11 p.m. ET, NewsNation’s Special Report was well ahead of MSNBC’s 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle in the key demo, with an audience of 29,000 viewers to MSNBC’s 18,000.
Fox News, long the ratings steamroller of cable news–and this summer extending its ratings power to become the most-watched network in all of television–finished first in both total viewers and the key demo Saturday night.
But for NewsNation, Saturday night was an important win, marking not just the 13th win over its competitors, but a victory on a night when viewership was high–giving the network an important opportunity for viewers who may not have sampled it before.
Fastest-growing cable news network
In August, NewsNation and Fox News were the only cable news networks to grow their audiences compared to the same month one year ago, with Fox News up 2% and NewsNation climbing 14%. With a total day average audience of 50,000, NewsNation has plenty of room to grow, trailing Newsmax (137,000 viewers), CNN (333,000 viewers), MSNBC (502,000 viewers), and Fox News (1.448 million viewers). Both CNN and MSNBC posted significant ratings declines in August compared to 2024, with CNN down 46% and MSNBC dropping 51%.
NewsNation’s gains in total day ratings mean the network can claim the title of fastest-growing cable news network, with double-digit growth for eight consecutive months–not bad for a network that only went to a full schedule of news programming in 2024, as it established a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week schedule.
“It reaffirms our commitment to delivering unbiased news coverage, a mission that resonates deeply with our viewers, fostering their trust in the brand, and strengthening their loyalty to NewsNation,” said Compton at the time, stressing the network’s branding as an alternative to its left or right-leaning competitors.