Don’t look now, but CNN is in the midst of a very solid October, particularly in the demo widely thought of as the holy grail for TV news advertisers: Adults 25-54.
CNN has defeated both Fox News and MSNBC in the demo on nine of the past 12 days in total day (October 6 – October 17, 2016). The last time CNN accomplished that feat was in March 2011, per Nielsen. The network has also been on a hot streak in the demo during prime time. Despite being edged by Fox News this past Sunday and Monday, CNN has defeated its two rivals on eight of the past 12 nights, led by its record-setting performance in A25-54 on Sunday, Oct. 9, when the trio of cable news networks all televised the second general election debate of 2016. CNN came out on top that night. The last time CNN beat Fox News in the demo eight times during an 11 night span was December 2015.
Below is a look at how CNN, Fox News and MSNBC have performed over the last 12 days. This includes daily performance in the demo, network average in the demo across the 12 day span, and network average for the week of October 10, both in total day and in prime time.
Cable News Network Performance: October 6 – October 17, 2016
| A 25-54 (000) | ||||||||
| Total Day (3a-3a) | Prime (8p-11p) | |||||||
| Day | Date | CNN | FNC | MSNBC | CNN | FNC | MSNBC | |
| Thurs | 10/6 | 293 | 295 | 188 | 512 | 468 | 305 | |
| Fri | 10/7 | 422 | 313 | 221 | 700 | 493 | 431 | |
| Sat | 10/8 | 414 | 248 | 217 | 511 | 255 | 177 | |
| Sun | 10/9 | 902 | 575 | 451 | 3,706 | 2,201 | 1,417 | |
| Mon | 10/10 | 413 | 362 | 283 | 595 | 559 | 502 | |
| Tues | 10/11 | 342 | 302 | 243 | 569 | 620 | 484 | |
| Weds | 10/12 | 306 | 348 | 285 | 522 | 633 | 619 | |
| Thurs | 10/13 | 337 | 312 | 275 | 554 | 525 | 510 | |
| Fri | 10/14 | 322 | 302 | 242 | 459 | 434 | 421 | |
| Sat | 10/15 | 288 | 234 | 133 | 332 | 240 | 86 | |
| Sun | 10/16 | 250 | 224 | 123 | 317 | 321 | 131 | |
| Mon | 10/17 | 302 | 308 | 218 | 532 | 563 | 448 | |
| Time Interval Average | 10/6 – 10/17 | 383 | 319 | 240 | 776 | 609 | 461 | |
| Weekly Average | 10/10 – 10/16 | 323 | 300 | 228 | 478 | 476 | 393 |
Not only did CNN hold a sizable lead over its rivals in the demo from Oct. 6 to Oct. 17, but it also managed to win the week of Oct. 10 by 2,000 A25-54 viewers.
Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter has also put up strong numbers in the demo as of late. The Sunday morning show beat Fox News’ Media Buzz with Howie Kurtz in the demo by +45 percent on Oct. 16 (423,000 to 291,000). It’s the show’s best delivery in the demo since launch (November 2013).
Erin Burnett Outfront has topped On the Record with Brit Hume in the demo for eight straight days. Hume took over the timeslot when Greta Van Susteren departed last month. This is the the longest winning streak for CNN during the 7 p.m. hour in more than 16 years.
Can CNN continue to thrive in the demo as we move through the second half of October? We’ll find out soon, with the next big test coming on Wednesday and the third and final presidential debate of 2016.