CNN's Ratings Plummet 92% After Presidential Debate, Underperforms Rivals
Network's viewership drops to 500,000 total viewers in the week following the debate, while Fox News and MSNBC maintain higher numbers
After airing the presidential debate, CNN's ratings experienced a sharp decline, dropping 92% the following day, as reported by Nielsen data. The network, which had the exclusive broadcast rights to the debate between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, saw its viewership plummet to 500,000 total viewers in the week following the event.
The debate, moderated by CNN anchors Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, drew an audience of nearly 50 million viewers, with CNN capturing 8.7 million of those viewers. However, the network's viewership quickly dissipated the day after the debate, with CNN's ratings falling 93% to 500,000 total viewers and 97% in the key 25-to-54 demographic, dropping to 83,000 viewers.
In contrast, Fox News and MSNBC maintained higher viewership numbers during the same week, with Fox News drawing 2.3 million total primetime viewers and 270,000 in the demo, while MSNBC attracted 1 million viewers and 88,000 in the demo.
The decline in ratings comes as CNN CEO Mark Thompson announced a plan to cut 100 jobs as part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at bolstering the network's digital business and consolidating its news operations.