The 2012 Summer Olympics wreaked ratings havoc in August, turning lousy months into awful ones for cable news channels not named MSNBC. CNN, which has had a rough year already, was down double digits.
The ratings for August 2012:
- Primetime (Mon-Sun): 425,000 Total Viewers / 123,000 A25-54
- Total Day (Mon-Sun): 326,000 Total Viewers / 96,000 A25-54
Compared to August 2011, CNN was down -49% in the demo in both primetime and total day. In total viewers the network was down -41% in primetime and -39% in total day. It is important to note that in addition to the Olympics, August 2011 was a big news month, between the battle of Tripoli and Hurricane Irene. The result of all that news was a big ratings bump for CNN, which made the declines this year appear all the more steep.
CNN notes that after the Olympics ended, its primetime programming rose more than 50% in the ratings, while in total day the shows were up 20-30%, making clear just how big an impact the Olympics had.
Nonetheless, it was another slow month for CNN, as the network continues to try and shake up its programming to boost ratings.