CNN’s primetime lineup hits dismal viewership low despite New York v. Trump trial
Advertiser-coveted viewers are not flocking to CNN
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN’s long-struggling primetime lineup hit a significant viewership low in a critical category last week despite the landmark New York v. Trump trial dominating the news cycle.
CNN’s primetime lineup of "Anderson Cooper 360," "The Source with Kaitlan Collins," and "CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip" managed only 83,000 nightly viewers in the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54 from May 13-19. The dismal total tied the network’s 2023 Thanksgiving week for its smallest audience in the critical category since 1991.
By comparison, Fox News programs "Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity," and "Gutfeld!" averaged 186,000 demo viewers to crush CNN’s audience by over 100,000 people between the ages 25-54.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN’s primetime lineup of "Anderson Cooper 360," "The Source with Kaitlan Collins," and "CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip" managed only 83,000 nightly viewers last week. (Getty)
CNN’s primetime lineup had a smaller audience among the demo than 23 different basic cable options, including FXX, MTV, Hallmark Channel, Discovery, A&E, Adult Swim, Comedy Central, TLC, HGTV, Food Network. ESPN2, and Bravo, in addition to Fox News and MSNBC.
CNN’s primetime lineup wasn’t particularly successful among total viewers, either, averaging only 484,000 total viewers compared to two million for Fox News.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CNN’s historic viewership low came in the midst of former President Trump’s criminal trial as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team attempt to prove he falsified business records related to a $130,000 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen’s buzzed-about testimony couldn’t even help CNN’s hapless primetime lineup, which has seen significant changes in recent years.
Chris Cuomo was fired late in 2021, and Don Lemon was shifted to mornings before being shown the door himself in 2023. The network tinkered with various lineups before landing on the current trio of low-rated programs.
The tiny audience heard Cooper admit on Thursday he would "absolutely" have doubts about Cohen’s testimony if he were on the jury after Trump’s lawyer caught him in a lie.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NY V. TRUMP: DEFENSE RESTS WITHOUT CALLING FORMER PRESIDENT TO TESTIFY; MOTION TO DISMISS PENDING
The landmark New York v. Trump trial did not help CNN attract primetime viewers from the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54 last week. (Probe-Media for Fox News Digital)
The most-watched show on cable news last week was Fox News Channel's "The Five," which averaged 3.1 million total viewers and 223,000 in the key demo and continues to thrive despite airing at 5 p.m. ET.
Trump has denied the alleged sexual encounter with Daniels happened and called his prosecution a politically motivated witch hunt.
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Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.