November 2015 Ratings: CNN Finishes No. 2 for Month

By Brian Flood 

CNN finished November up +26 percent in total viewers and and up +10 percent in the A25-54 demo (total day) compared to the same month last year. CNN remains the No. 2 cable news network, behind Fox News, and ahead of MSNBC for the 17th consecutive month in the demo, in both total day and the prime time.

The ratings for November, 2015 (Nielsen Live + Same Day data):

  • Prime time (Mon-Sun): 658,000 total viewers / 231,000 A25-54
  • Total Day (Mon-Sun): 564,000 total viewers / 171,000 A25-54

CNN’s morning show New Day had its best total viewer month since launch. The 440,000 average is CNN’s highest delivery in the time period since May 2011.

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CNN is the most-watched cable news network on weekends in the demo for both total day and prime time. CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow, CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield and Fareed Zakaria GPS helped the weekend numbers by winning their respective time slots. Michael Smerconish‘s show had the most growth, up + 126 percent from November 2014.

See the entire CNN release below:

CNN RANKS 2ND IN CABLE NEWS IN TOTAL DAY AND PRIMETIME; #1 ON WEEKENDS IN ADULTS 25-54

CNN POSTS MOST TOTAL VIEWER GROWTH AMONG TOP 40 CABLE NETWORKS VS. LAST YEAR

New Day Beats Morning Joe in Demo; Joe Finishes Last behind CNN and HLN

 CNN Original Series Rank Either #1 or #2 in Time Period

CNN was the #2 cable news network in November in Total Day and Primetime in both total viewers and adults 25-54.  CNN outperformed MSNBC for the 17th straight month in Total Day among both demos, and in Primetime among 25-54.  That is the longest winning streak over MSNBC in these dayparts and demos in over seven years.  CNN has beaten MSNBC for the third straight month in M-Su Primetime among total viewers.  The last time that happened was in Sep-09.  For the month, CNN also ranked #1 in cable news on weekends (Sat/Sun) in both Total Day and Primetime (demo 25-54).  Among the Top 40 cable networks, CNN posted the most growth (+25%) in total viewers and third most (+10%) among 25-54 vs. a year ago.

CNN Nov 1

Of particular note, CNN’s morning program, New Day, beat MSNBC’s Morning Joe in the key demo (127k vs. MSNBC’s 112k) this month.  CNN has now topped Joe for 16 of the last 17 months; with the MSNBC morning show placing last among all cable news morning programs in the demo (behind Fox News, CNN and HLN’s Morning Express). New Day, which launched in June 2013, registered its highest total viewer delivery this month (440k) and CNN’s highest delivery in the morning time period since May 2011.

Dayside:

  • CNN dayside (9a-4p) programs all ranked #2 in November in total viewers and the demo; while MSNBC was #3 in total viewers. In the demo,    MSNBC ranked #4 from 9a-12p and #3 from 12p-4p.
  • CNN posted a +70% advantage over MSNBC in total viewers (612k vs. 361k) and a +118% lead in the demo (146k vs. 67k).

Late Afternoons:

  • The Lead with Jake Tapper (4pm) ranked #2 in cable news, easily topping MSNBC in both total viewers (736k vs. MSNBC’s 389k) and the demo (173k vs. 62k).  The Lead was up +33% in total viewers and +15% in the demo from a year ago.
  • The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer (5-7pm) ranked #2 in cable news besting MSNBC in both total viewers (798k vs. MSNBC’s 505k) and in the demo (223k vs. 72k). The Situation Room was up in both total viewers (+31%) and the demo (+12%) vs. year ago.

Primetime:

  • CNN beat MSNBC during M-F primetime hours at 7pm, 8pm, 9pm and 10pm in the key demo 25-54.
  • Erin Burnett Outfront (7pm) ranked #2 in the demo (270k), topping MSNBC’s Hardball by a wide margin (127k).  In total viewers, the program averaged 808k, its highest performance since April 2013.  EBOF also had the most growth in cable news throughout primetime among total viewers (+34%) and in the demo 25-54 (+24%) vs. a year ago.
  • Anderson Cooper 360 ranked #2 in both total viewers (833k) and the demo (276K) easily topping MSNBC’s Chris Hayes (728k/139k).  AC 360 delivered its highest performance since April 2013 and was the highest-rated CNN primetime news program.  AC 360 grew +22% in total viewers and +11% in the demo compared to last year.
  • CNN programming at 9pm ranked #2 in the demo (256k), topping MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow (185k) in the key demo 25-54.  CNN at 9pm has now topped MSNBC for the 14th time in the last 16th months.  On Wednesday nights at 9pm, each episode of This is Life with Lisa Ling topped Maddow.
  • CNN Tonight with Don Lemon ranked #2 in the demo (207k), topping MSNBC’s Last Word (138k) by 50%.  CNN has now beat MSNBC at 10pm for the 17th straight month in the important key demo 25-54.

Saturdays:

  • New Day Saturday ranked #2 in cable news and was up each hour (6a-9a) compared to a year ago.
  • Smerconish (9am) increased the most in all of cable news in the key demo 25-54, increasing +126% from a year ago. The show ranked #2 in total viewers (946k, up 111%) and 271k among 25-54.
  • CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield (10am-3pm) ranked #1 each hour among 25-54 and was top-rated in total viewers during the noon and 1pm hours this month. The show was also up double digits vs. a year ago.
  • CNN Newsroom with Poppy Harlow ranked #1 during the 3-6pm hours in the key demo 25-54 in November.  The program was also up double and triple digits each hour in total viewers and the demo compared to last year.

 Sundays:

  • State of the Union with Jake Tapper ranked #2 on Sundays at 9am and was #1 at noon in the key demo 25-54.  At 9am SOTU averaged 664k in total viewers and grew +52% vs. last year and had 169k in the demo and was up +64%.  At noon, SOTU was the only program to grow among 25-54 (up +55%), MSNBC was down -28% and Fox News was off by -18%.
  • Fareed Zakaria GPS ranked #1 in the demo 25-54 (199k) at 10am and was #2 in cable news in total viewers.  GPS also grew vs. last year increasing +57%/+62% respectively.  The show ranked #2 at 1p, also growing double digits in both demos vs. a year ago.
  • Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter (11am) ranked #2 this month in both total viewers (598k) and among 25-54 (149k).  RS increased +24% in total viewers and +26% in the demo, while MSNBC was down -13%/-33%.

 CNN Original Series and CNN Films:

  •  Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown averaged 352k among adults 25-54, 701k in total viewers, and 107k among 18-34 over its eight Sunday 9p-10p premieres in Season 6 (9/27-11/15/15).

o   Across cable news in its time period, ranked #1 among both 25-54 and 18-34, outperforming the combined delivery of Fox News and MSNBC in each demo.  Ranked #2 in total viewers and more than tripled MSNBC.

o   Every premiere episode also ranked #1 among both 25-54 and 18-34 across cable news in its time period.

o   Attracted the youngest audience (median age of 53 years) across cable news in its time period.

o   Up from Live to Live+7 viewing by +65% among 25-54 (352k vs. 213k), +46% in total viewers (701k vs. 481k), and +95% in 18-34 (107k vs. 55k).

 

  • Somebody’s Gotta Do It  with Mike Rowe averaged 166k among 25-54, 392k in total viewers, and 53k among18-34 over its eight Sunday 10p-11p premieres in Season 3 to-date (9/27-11/29/15).

o   Across cable news in its time period, ranked #1 among both 25-54 and 18-34, outperforming the combined 18-34 delivery of Fox News and MSNBC.  Ranked #2 among total viewers and ahead of MSNBC (238k) by +65%.

o   Up from Live to Most Current viewing by +55% among 25-54 (166k vs. 107k), +40% in total viewers (392k vs. 281k), and +83% in 18-34 (53k vs. 29k).

 

 

  • This is Life with Lisa Ling averaged 226k among 25-54, 642k in total viewers and 58k among 18-34 over its six Wednesday 9p-10p premieres in Season 2 to-date (9/30-11/11/15).

o   Across cable news in its time period, ranks #2 among both 25-54 and 18-34.

  • Beats MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show by +29% in 25-54 (175k) and +76% in 18-34 (33k).

o   Attracts the youngest audience (median age of 57 years) across cable news in its time period.

o   Up from Live to Live+7 viewing by +40% among 25-54 (226k vs. 161k), +27% in total viewers (642k vs. 504k), and +38% in P18-34 (58k vs. 42k).

 

 

  • The premiere of CNN Films: The Hunting Ground (Sun 11/22/15, 8p-9:54p) delivered 186k among 25-54, 474k total viewers and 20k 18-34 among Live+3.

o   Across cable news in its time period, ranked #1 in 25-54 and #2 in total viewers.

  • Beat MSNBC by +45% in total viewers (328k).

o   Up from Live to Live+3 viewing by +19% among 25-54 (186k vs. 156k), +15% in total viewers (474k vs. 411k), and +11% 18-34 (20k vs. 18k).

 

Note: Parts Unknown, Somebody’s Gotta Do It and This is Life data based on blend of most current streams: Live+7 (thru 11/15/15), Live+3 (11/16/15-11/27/15) and Live+SD (11/28/15-11/29/15).  CNN Films: The Hunting Ground based on Live+3 data.  Competitive data in the CNN Films: The Hunting Ground time period based on 8p-10p.  Median age based on P2+.

Data is a blend of Nielsen Live+SD and the more inclusive Live+3 and final Live+7 data when available.

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