CNN Ratings: Another Brutal July

CNN is still reeling in viewership after Donald Trump's election victory over Kamala Harris last November.

Specifically, the network’s total viewership dropped by 42% in July compared to the same month last year, while ratings in the key 25–54 advertising demographic fell by 55%.

Moreover, not a single CNN program ranked among the top 15 highest-rated shows in cable news for the month. That list was as follows:

1. The Five, Fox News: 3,538,000
2. Jesse Watters Primetime, Fox News: 3,144,000
3. Gutfeld, Fox News: 2,908,000
4. Hannity, Fox News: 2,663,000
5. Special Report, Fox News: 2,609,000
6. The Ingraham Angle, Fox News: 2,508,000
7. The Will Cain Show, Fox News: 2,121,000
8. The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC: 2,024,000
9. Outnumbered, Fox News: 1,939,000
10. America Reports, Fox News: 1,882,000
11. The Faulkner Focus, Fox News: 1,875,000
12. America's Newsroom, Fox News: 1,840,000
13. The Story, Fox News: 1,836,000
14. Fox News @ Night, Fox News: 1,488,000
15. Fox & Friends, Fox News: 1,300,000.

As evidenced by the chart, MSNBC continues to rely heavily on Rachel Maddow. Overall, the network’s total viewership declined by 27% in July compared to the same month in 2024.

So, better than CNN. But still bad.

Both CNN and MSNBC have a star problem. Between the two channels, Maddow is the only real difference maker – and she only hosts once a week. By comparison, Fox News has multiple needle movers, including Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity, Will Cain, and Bret Baier.

It’s not even clear who CNN’s biggest star is these days. Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper remain the most recognizable names, but they’ve struggled to stay relevant in the broader media conversation. Conservative commentator Scott Jennings has become the network’s most viral personality, yet he’s still just a contributor on Abby Phillip’s primetime program.

Primetime remains CNN’s most pressing concern. In July, the network averaged just 497,000 total viewers in primetime. Re-airs on Nickelodeon are now more popular than CNN's primetime lineup.

And it's hard to see much changing for CNN. Stephen Colbert could be a possibility, once he departs CBS next year. Then again, Colbert cost CBS around $40 million a year in losses. 

With parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announcing plans to separate its cable assets (CNN, TBS, and TNT) from its streaming service and studios (Max, DC Universe), CNN will likely look to spend less, not more, on talent moving forward.

Other than another Russia Hoax, under 500,000 in primetime is likely CNN's new reality.