MSNBC’s Primetime Lineup Has Worst January Ratings Ever
This month, MSNBC’s primetime lineup finished with its smallest January audience ever among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25 to 54.
Specifically, the network averaged just 63,000 viewers during the demo between the hours 8 pm to 11 pm ET. By comparison, the Fox News Channels averaged 353,000 demo viewers, while CNN averaged 118,000.
MSNBC's primetime lineup includes Jen Psaki at 8 pm on Mondays and Chris Hayes on Tuesday-Friday, Rachel Maddow at 9 pm, and Lawrence O’Donnel at 10 pm.
Maddow will revert to a once-a-week schedule after the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Perhaps by then, Fake News Jim Acosta, who was chased out of CNN, will look to join the channel.
What's particularly concerning for MSNBC is that the month was filled with headlines, stories that would typically raise the average of any cable news channel.
The month included President Trump’s inauguration, an alleged terrorist ramming a truck through New Year's revelers in New Orleans, video of a Tesla Cybertruck exploding in front of Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, Biden pardoning members of his family and political allies, the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and a series of new executive orders from Trump administration.
And yet, MSNBC recorded its lowest-rated January on record.
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(Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/MSNBC via Getty Images)
DePauw University professor Jeffrey McCall explained to Fox News Digital how the channel's low demo ratings could affect its ad sales.
"Advertisers seek the 25-54 demo because media consumers in that age range generally have money to spend and are not necessarily locked into brand loyalties. Younger demos have less discretionary money to spend, and older demos are more established in their consumerism habits," McCall explained.
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"The 25-54 consumers are buying cars, renovating their houses, buying clothes for kids and basically having to spend their money to live their lives. And they are more open to trying new products or services," McCall added. "That's why advertisers target this age group so specifically."
The following networks outperformed MSNBC in the demo for the month: TV Land, Lifetime, Freeform, E!, Syfy, BET, Paramount, Hallmark Channel, AMC, FXX, Investigation Discovery, History, Nick-at-Nite, MTV, Discovery, Comedy Central, A&E, HGTV, FX, Adult Swim, Food Network, Bravo, ESPN2, TLC, TBS, TNT, and USA.
Even FXX (the secondary FX channel), huh?
Wait, more people under the age of 54 watch TV Land, a channel directly catered to people over 54, than watch MSNBC?
In the meantime, here's MSNBC primetime host Joy Reid from earlier this week comparing Donald Trump to a Nazi:
Check back to OutKick next month to see if MSNBC can manage to top its all-time February low, as well.