MSNBC experiences historic audience drop after election night success

In the United States, following a polarizing election night, major news networks experienced fluctuating viewer ratings. MSNBC, known for its left-leaning perspective, initially saw a boost during the election with impressive viewer numbers, ranking above CNN for the first time in its history. However, this initial success was short-lived as their ratings sharply declined over the subsequent days. Nielsen ratings indicated that on Thursday and Friday, MSNBC's viewership dropped dramatically, with only 596,000 total viewers on Thursday, marking a 23 percent decrease compared to the previous year. In contrast, Fox News maintained a strong presence with an average of 2.6 million viewers, displaying a substantial year-over-year increase of 60 percent. Meanwhile, CNN also struggled, recording a total viewership of 419,000 on Thursday and seeing its own significant declines. Prime time ratings were particularly concerning for MSNBC, as programs led by hosts Alex Wagner and Chris Hayes logged their lowest viewer counts in years. This pattern continued into Friday, where seven MSNBC programs also set seasonal low ratings. The stark contrast in the ratings indicates a potential shift in viewer sentiment and perhaps a broader change in political mood since post-election hopelessness began to set in. The marked decline reflects not only the immediate aftermath of the elections but also a longer-term trend impacting cable news viewership, as traditional viewing habits evolve with changing audience desires and media consumption methods. Overall, the post-election landscape presented clear challenges for MSNBC, raising questions about its ability to sustain viewer engagement moving forward.