MSNBC's Prime-Time Surge: Reclaiming Viewers in July

MSNBC Maintains Strong Lead Over CNN in July

MSNBC continued to outperform CNN in July, expanding its audience lead across multiple time slots. The network maintained dominance with new prime-time programs that saw significant growth among the key A25-54 demographic. This strong performance highlights MSNBC's ability to attract and retain viewers even during the typically slower summer months.

In terms of weekday prime-time viewership, MSNBC averaged 1.1 million viewers between 8 and 11 p.m. from Monday through Friday, nearly double the 549,000 viewers CNN attracted during the same period. Additionally, MSNBC topped CNN in total-day viewership, with 530,000 versus 370,000, marking the 40th consecutive month of this lead, according to Nielsen data.

Despite the usual summer lull, MSNBC viewers remained highly engaged, spending nearly eight hours per week watching the network—nearly double the time spent by CNN viewers. This level of engagement has contributed to a 47% increase in MSNBC’s total-day viewership compared to pre-inauguration levels, the largest increase among major cable news networks.

MSNBC Among Top Cable Networks

MSNBC was the second most-watched cable network overall in July, surpassing both ESPN and CNN. It also emerged as the most-watched network among Black viewers and ranked among the top four for Hispanic and Asian-American audiences. In Washington, D.C., MSNBC remained the most-watched cable channel for the second consecutive month.

Over the last decade, MSNBC has doubled its total audience despite a 33% decline in U.S. pay television households. Year-to-date, the network is averaging 101% more prime-time viewers and 81% more total-day viewers compared to the same period in 2015. In contrast, CNN’s total-day audience has dropped by 8% over the same timeframe.

New Programs Drive Growth

New weekday programs such as “The Briefing with Jen Psaki” (Tuesday through Friday, 9 p.m.) and “The Weeknight” (Monday through Friday, 7 p.m.) saw substantial gains in July. These shows experienced 19% and 23% increases in A25-54 viewership since their May launches, respectively. Every MSNBC weekday program airing between 4 p.m. and midnight outperformed its CNN counterpart in total viewers.

“The Rachel Maddow Show” (Mondays, 9 p.m.) stood out with a significant viewership boost, quadrupling CNN’s total viewership (2.02 million vs. 524,000) and more than doubling its A25-54 audience (219,000 vs. 93,000). “Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace” (4 to 6 p.m.) topped CNN among A25-54 viewers, recording its largest demo audience since April. Meanwhile, “The 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle” tied CNN in the demo with 73,000 viewers.

Morning Programming Remains Strong

Morning programming on MSNBC continued to perform well. “Morning Joe” (Monday through Friday, 6 to 10 a.m.) nearly doubled CNN’s total viewership (594,000 vs. 303,000) and led in the A25-54 audience for the fourth consecutive month. It was also the most-watched cable program in Washington, D.C. for the fifth straight month. “Way Too Early with Ali Vitali” (5 a.m.) maintained its edge over CNN for the 40th consecutive month in total viewers and A25-54.

The dayside block “MSNBC Reports” (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) averaged 499,000 total viewers in July, outperforming CNN for the fourth straight month and achieving its largest advantage since November 2024.

Weekend Programming Gains Momentum

Weekend programming also showed strong growth, with “The Weekend: Primetime” (Saturday and Sunday, 6 to 9 p.m.) increasing its total audience by 9% since its launch month. “Velshi” (weekends) topped CNN in total viewers for the second time since expanding its time slot.

Future of MSNBC and NBC-Owned Networks

MSNBC and other NBC-owned cable networks are currently being spun out by Comcast into a separate business called Versant. This new company will also include the financial news channel CNBC, signaling a strategic shift in the media landscape.