TVSpy
CNN had a historically low-rated primetime on Friday, reaching viewership lows that the network hasn’t seen in several years.
On Friday, 2/12, CNN had the lowest rated weekday evening in P2+ since 2005 and the lowest with the all-important A25-54 demographic since 2001. The network averaged just 85,000 viewers in A25-54 on Friday evening.
CNN’s primetime programming was certainly up against some stiff competition as many tuned in to watch the Olympic Opening Ceremony on NBC. While all cable news networks showed audience declines compared to the previous Friday, though, CNN saw a major erosion in its audience from Friday, 2/5. In the A25-54 demo, Fox News saw roughly an 8% drop in viewers from the past Friday and MSNBC posted a 3% decline. CNN, on the other hand, averaged approximately 45% fewer viewers in A25-54 on Friday evening compared to the previous Friday. (Complete 2/12 ratings breakdown here).