Week of November 25 Cable News Ratings: Public Has Little Appetite for News During Thanksgiving

These are TVNewser’s basic cable network rankings and cable news report for the week of November 25, 2024.

The long Thanksgiving holiday led to weekly declines in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo across all three networks. Double-digit declines in both measured categories were recorded during this slow news period.

Fox News continued to dominate primetime and total daytime, capturing 70% of the total A25-54 daytime share and occupying 98 of the top 100 cable news shows of the week.

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Nielsen live and same-day data for the week of November 25 saw FNC average 2.012 million total viewers and 237,000 A25-54 viewers in primetime. The network saw total viewership declines of -25% and -27% in the A25-54 demo. compared to the previous week.

Fox News averaged 1.359 million total viewers and 163,000 A25-54 viewers in total daily audience, for weekly declines of -20% and -21%, respectively.

Among all basic cable networks, FNC finished second in total viewers and primetime demo, behind ESPN in both. During the total day, the network was #1 in total viewers and #2 in demo.

MSNBC’s primetime programming averaged 465,000 total viewers and 37,000 A25-54 viewers, for declines of -29% and -38%, respectively, from the previous week.

For the day as a whole, MSNBC averaged 346,000 total viewers and 29,000 A25-54 viewers, representing declines of -29% and -31%, respectively. The last time MSNBC had low viewership in the demo during both dayparts was in 1997.

Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC ranked ninth in total primetime viewership and fell from 29th to 43rd in the demo. Over the course of the total day, the channel slipped to fifth in total viewers and went from No. 23 to No. 38 in the demo.

In prime time, CNN averaged 297,000 total viewers and 51,000 A25-54 viewers, representing declines of -28% and -35% in the demo from the previous week.

During the total day, the network saw 268,000 total viewers and 41,000 viewers in the demo, decreases of -20% and -23%, respectively. CNN once again finished ahead of MSNBC in the primetime demo and total day.

In the basic cable ratings, CNN ranked 23rd in total primetime viewers and 34th in the primetime demo. During the total day, CNN landed in eighth place in total viewers and fell to 24th place in the demo.

When we look at the performance of these networks during the same period a year ago (the week of November 27):

In prime time, Fox News grew +3% in total viewership and +9% in the A25-54 demo. During the total day, the channel also saw gains of +15% in total viewers and +9% in the demo. MSNBC’s primetime programming declined -59% in total viewers and -61% in the demo. During the total day, the network saw a -55% decline in total viewers and -59% in the demo. In prime time, CNN fell -41% in total viewership and -55% in demo. During the total day, CNN saw a -40% decline in total viewership and a -48% decline in the demo.

Prime time

Fox News MSNBC CNN • Total number of viewers: 2,012,000 465,000 297,000 • A25-54: 237,000 37,000 51,000

Total day

Fox News MSNBC CNN • Total number of viewers: 1,359,000 346,000 268,000 • A25-54: 163,000 29,000 41,000