CNN has lost its title as the go-to channel for breaking news to MSNBC, which drew the most viewers of any cable news network the day after former President Donald Trump announced his federal indictment and again when it was revealed.
MSNBC led prime-time averages with 2.43 million total viewers Thursday when Trump first suggested he would be impeached. It was followed by FOX News, which garnered 2.15 million views, with CNN in third place, receiving just 1.13 million views.
Then, when federal prosecutors unsealed the indictment against the former president on Friday, MSNBC once again had the highest total average prime-time viewers in the coveted 25-54 age group of any their rivals
The liberal network achieved 1.46 million viewers throughout the day.
The ratings spell more trouble for CNN after network executives fired CEO Chris Licht amid the fallout from a damning article in which several employees expressed doubts about his ability to lead.
CNN has been called the “most trusted name in news” and for decades was where many viewers turned to for important events. But the ratings after Trump’s accusations underscore the problems the outlet has faced with declining ratings and trust.
MSNBC led prime-time averages with 2.43 million total viewers Thursday when Trump first suggested he would be impeached. Then on Friday it got 1.46 million viewers
MSNBC’s coverage of the federal impeachment against former President Donald Trump dominated cable news ratings. Host Nicolle Wallace is seen here on Deadline: White House
On Thursday, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes had nearly 2.32 million viewers tuning into his broadcast on the left-leaning network.
On Thursday, MSNBC’s top talent Chris Hayes, Alex Wagner and Lawrence O’Donnell earned the highest ratings for their time slot.
Just half an hour after news broke around 7:30 p.m. that federal authorities would indict Trump for improperly storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Hayes had nearly 2.32 million viewers tuning in its emission.
His May 25 show, however, had nearly 1.4 million views.
At the same time, FOX News Tonight had 1.9 million viewers Thursday and Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN saw 1.3 million viewers.
At 9pm that night, Wagner won 2.53 million viewers while FOX News’ Sean Hannity got 2.3 million. Cooper, meanwhile, gained more viewers in its second hour, jumping to 1.19 million.
And at 10 p.m., O’Donnell got 2.6 million views, while FOX News’ Laura Ingraham had nearly 2.26 million.
CNN’s coverage of Trump’s impeachment, however, saw just 909,000 viewers.
Anderson Cooper 360 only saw a few hundred thousand viewers on Friday night
FOX News’ Sean Hannity drew 2.3 million viewers Thursday night and another 1.7 million on Friday
MSNBC also led the networks in the number of 25-54 year olds it drew, with 342,000 compared to CNN’s 256,000.
FOX News took third place in that category with 231,000, but won the day in total day demographics and total average viewers.
Then, after the impeachment against Trump was unsealed Friday afternoon, CNN had just 710,000 total viewers, with an average of 125,000 among 25-54 year olds.
It was behind FOX News, which had 1.28 million total daily viewers and 136,000 viewers in the demographic.
Fox’s The Five was also the top-rated show Friday with 2.56 million total viewers, while MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace’s Deadline: White House had 2.27 million viewers. But, it topped the 25-54 demographic with 270,000 views.
His show usually averages just over a million viewers, receiving 1.29 million viewers on May 25.
Later in the evening, MSNBC’s coverage of the impeachment received 2.03 million views at 8:00 PM and nearly 1.86 million views at 9:00 PM.
At the same time, FOX News Tonight drew 1.52 million views at 8:00 PM and Hannity drew 1.7 million views at 9:00 PM.
But CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 saw just 984,000 viewers at 8 p.m. and 825,000 at 9 p.m.
CNN executives fired CEO Chris Licht last week after a tumultuous year marked by layoffs, reduced profits, low ratings, the firing of two anchors and low employee morale.
Licht is pictured out for coffee and walking his dog after his June 8 eviction
CNN has been struggling with low ratings for months, and executives announced last month that CEO Chris Licht would be fired.
It had faced a tumultuous year marked by layoffs, reduced profits, low ratings, the firing of two anchors and rock bottom employee morale.
The final nail in the coffin was an Atlantic article, which saw more than 100 CNN employees questioning his ability to lead the organization into the future.
Licht was succeeded by Amy Entelis, who, along with other executives serving as CNN’s acting leadership team, sent a memo to employees Thursday to assure them they were ready to take over.
Longtime vice president of talent Amy Entelis will lead the network along with three other longtime executives until a permanent replacement is found.
Acting CEO Entelis, incoming COO David Leavy, VP of Programming Eric Sherling and VP of Publishing Virginia Moseley said they will work to “remove the distractions that have made your work difficult.”
“Now is the time for us, as leaders at CNN, to meet the moment, as you have done time and time again,” the memo read, according to Deadline.
“As we step into the helm of the organization on an interim basis, we are humbled by the task before us and are committed to making this period as smooth as possible.
“Our goal is to remove the barriers and distractions that have made your work difficult, refocus you on the unparalleled work you’re producing every day, and provide open and regular lines of communication to ensure you feel invested and engaged on our way forward.”
The executives added that they understood “how disorienting and unsettling it can be when we become newsworthy and these recent changes can be difficult to navigate, both personally and professionally.”
The team will lead the network while CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery hires a new CEO.
