MSNBC was the #2 cable news network for the month of April, delivering a clear win over CNN in both Total Day and Primetime. Compared to April 2011, however, the network is down -5% in Total Viewers and -9% in A25-54 viewers in primetime. In Total Day, MSNBC is flat in Total Viewers and -5% in the demographic.
The ratings for April, 2012:
- Primetime (Mon-Sun): 754,000 Total Viewers / 236,000 A25-54
- Total Day (Mon-Sun): 425,000 Total Viewers / 139,000 A25-54
“Morning Joe” continues to grow in younger viewers, posting a +13% increase in the A25-54 demographic compared to last year.
In primetime, “Hardball with Chris Matthews” is up in Total Viewers compared to last year at both 5 and 7pmET. Al Sharpton’s “PoliticsNation” is also up +21% in Total Viewers. At 1opmET, “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” is up +7% in Total Viewers and +4% in A25-54 viewers.
MSNBC’s weekend morning programming — anchored by Chris Hayes, Melissa Harris-Perry and Alex Witt — was another bright spot for the network. All three programs are up in Total Viewers compared to the same hours in April 2011 — Hayes’ program is up +14%, Harris-Perry’s program is up +7%, and Witt’s program is up +10%. Year-over-year growth was even stronger on Sundays, when the three programs were up +30%, +23%, and +14%, respectively.
The full release from MSNBC is after the jump.
| MSNBC CONTINUES TO TOP CNN
MSNBC Weekday Primetime Beats CNN By 68% in Total Viewers and 54% in the Demo for April MSNBC Ranks #1 Among Adults 18-34 in Primetime for the Month MSNBC Surpasses CNN in Total Day NEW YORK –May 1, 2012 – MSNBC topped CNN in primetime and total day during the month of April, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. MSNBC also beat the cable news competition among the younger demo in primetime, ranking #1 for the month among A18-34. MSNBC topped CNN in the morning with “Way Too Early” and “Morning Joe” and in primetime with “Hardball,” “PoliticsNation,” “The Ed Show,” “The Rachel Maddow Show,” and “The Last Word.” MSNBC beat CNN in total viewers by 68% (896,000 vs. 533,000) and by 54% among A25-54 (250,000 vs. 162,000) for the month in weekday primetime (M-F 8-11 p.m.). This was CNN’s lowest weekday prime delivery since Aug. 2010. MSNBC also surpassed CNN in total day (M-Su 6a-6a) by 29% among A25-54 (139,000 vs. 108,000) and 19% in total viewers (425,000 vs. 357,000). Following are MSNBC’s morning and primetime ratings highlights for April 2012: * At 5:30 a.m. “Way Too Early” was #2 in key demos (A1834, A25-54 and P2+), beating CNN in total viewers (192,000 vs. 143,000) and A25-54 (89,000 vs. 64,000). * “Morning Joe” ranked #2 topping CNN in total viewers by 80% (412,000 vs. 229,000) and by 69% among A25-54 (154,000 vs. 91,000). “Morning Joe” is up 13% in A25-54 compared to April 2011, while CNN’s is down 30%. * “Hardball with Chris Matthews” at 5 p.m. ranked #2 in total viewers (720,000 vs. 557,000) and A25-54 (134,000 vs. 131,000) for the seventh consecutive month. “Hardball” is up 5% among total viewers compared to April. 2011 while CNN is down 12%. * “PoliticsNation” with Al Sharpton at 6 p.m. ranked #2, topping CNN by 58% among A25-54 (168,000 vs. 106,000) and by 64% among total viewers (712,000 vs. 435,000). “PolitcsNation” is up 21% in total viewers compared to April 2011, while both CNN and FNC are down. This was CNN’s lowest A25-54 program delivery in the 6 p.m. hour in more than a decade (since August 2001). * At 7 p.m. “Hardball with Chris Matthews” ranked #2 for the 9th straight month, beating CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront” by 46% (165,000 vs. 113,000) and by 88% among total viewers (768,000 vs. 409,000). “Hardball” at 7 p.m. is up 19% among total viewers compared to April 2011, while CNN is down 22% among total viewers and had the lowest A25-54 delivery in the hour since August 2010. * “The Ed Show” at 8 p.m. ranked #2 topping CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” by 49% in A25-54 (214,000 vs. 144,000) and 74% in total viewers (875,000 vs. 504,000) for the month. This is the 50th straight month MSNBC has beaten CNN at 8 p.m. in total viewers. * “The Rachel Maddow Show” at 9 p.m. beat CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” by 78% among A25-54 (287,000 vs. 161,000) and by 74% among total viewers (985,000 vs. 567,000). “The Rachel Maddow Show” has now topped CNN for 27 straight months among total viewers and 13 consecutive months in A25-54. “Maddow” was ranked #1 among A18-34 for the month and had 37% growth among the younger demo compared to April 2011. * “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” ranked #2 at 10 p.m. with a 52% advantage over “Anderson Cooper 360” in A25-54 (266,000 vs. 175,000) and 78% among total viewers (931,000 vs. 522,000). “The Last Word” was up 7% in total viewers and 4% among A25-54 compared to April 2011, while CNN was down 26% in total viewers and 28% among A25-54 compared to last year. This marks CNN’s lowest A25-54 delivery in the 10 p.m. hour since January 2011 and lowest total viewer delivery in nearly eleven years (since May 2001 with “CNN Tonight”). “The Last Word” was also #1 among the younger demo A18-34, up 73% in this demo compared to April 2011. * MSNBC is #1 in delivering African American total viewers among cable news channels for the 27th consecutive month in M-Su Primetime. * MSNBC’s Daytime programming (M-F 9a-5p) had more growth than any other cable news channel in the daypart, up 8% in total viewers and 37% among the younger demo of A18-34 compared to April 2011. CNN was down double-digits in A25-54 in each daytime hour from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. compared to April 2011 and among total viewers in each daytime hour from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. from a year ago. MSNBC’s daytime and weekend program highlights include: * “The Daily Rundown” with Chuck Todd at 9 a.m. topped CNN to rank #2 for the sixth consecutive month in total viewers. Among A25-54, the program grew 13% vs. Apr. 2011, more growth than all other cable news programs in the hour combined. “The Daily Rundown” was also up 76% with A18-34, more growth than all cable news programs in the hour combined. * At 10 a.m., “Jansing & Co.” was up 16% in A25-54 compared to April 2011 and up 67% in the younger demo of A18-34 – more growth than all cable news programs in the hour combined. * At 11 a.m. “MSNBC Live” with Thomas Roberts was up 3% in A25-54 compared to April 2011 and grew 71% with 18-34 over April 2011, more growth than all cable news programs in the hour combined (among A18-34). * “NOW with Alex Wagner” at noon was up 9% in total viewers and 1% among A25-54 compared to April 2011. “NOW” was also up 71% in A18-34 compared to April 2011, more growth than all cable news programs in the hour combined. * At 1 p.m., “Andrea Mitchell Reports” was up 1% in total viewers and grew 9% in A18-34 compared to April 2011, while both CNN and FXNC are down in the hour (among A18-34). * “NewsNation” with Tamron Hall at 2 p.m. was up 11% with total viewers compared to April 2011. * At 3 p.m. “Martin Bashir” ranked #2 with total viewers for the second consecutive month. “Martin Bashir” is up 50% in total viewers compared to April 2011, more growth than all other cable news programs in the hour combined. Bashir is also up 14% in A18-34 over April 2011. * “The Dylan Ratigan Show” at 4 p.m. grew 34% in total viewers compared to April 2011, while CNN and FXNC are down. Ratigan also grew 23% in A18-34 over April 2011, the only cable news program to grown in the hour. * On Saturdays in April, “Up with Chris Hayes” beat CNN among A25-54 (144,000 vs. 141,000) and grew 7% in A25-54 and 14% among total viewers compared to April 2011. “Up with Chris Hayes” ranked #2 with A18-34. “Melissa Harris-Perry” grew 7% in total viewers compared to April 2011. “Melissa Hariris-Perry” ranked #2 with A18-34. “Weekends with Alex Witt” was up 10% in total from April 2011, more growth than all other cable news programs in the time period combined. * On Sundays in April, “Up with Chris Hayes” beat CNN by 19% among A245-54 (145,000 vs. 122,000) and increased 10% among A25-54 and 30% in total viewers from April 2011.”Up with Chris Hayes” ranked #2 with A18-34. “Melisss Harris-Perry” increased 23% in total viewers from April 2011, more growth than all cable news programs in the time period combined. “Weekends with Alex Witt” grew 14% in total viewers from April 2011, posting the only cable news program growth in the time period. “Alex Witt” also ranked #1 with the younger demo of A18-34. * MSNBC ranks #1 in both A25-54 and the younger demo of A18-34 in weekend sales prime (Sa/Su 7p-2a). |