Super Tuesday Ratings Paint Bleak Future For CNN
Super Tuesday often previews the interest viewers have in a particular news network's coverage of the upcoming election. If that trend holds this year, CNN ought to be concerned.
All five major news networks (two broadcast networks and three cable networks) aired live news coverage of the results on Tuesday at 10 pm. Fox News led with 3.51 million viewers, followed by MSNBC, with 1.96 million, ABC with 1.88 million, NBC with 1.68 million, and CBS with 1.46 million. CNN was a distant fifth with just 938,000 viewers.
During primetime hours – which NBC, ABC, and CBS did not carry in full – CNN also lagged well behind the competition: Fox News, 3.51 million, MSNBC 1.96 million, and CNN 900,000.
CNN trailing the other networks is not exactly new. It's been that way for nearly five years. However, CNN historically received the largest bump during heavy news nights, such as elections, primary elections, hurricanes, and breaking news periods.
Casual viewers used to reflexively choose CNN during breaking news periods. That is the case no longer, as Tuesday night underscores. As did the lack of interest in CNN during the early stages of the Hamas-Israel war.
"CNN used to be called the spare tire of breaking news, especially in the case of international events or war," Joe Concha posted on X.
"But now, its top-rated show is 26th among the 3 major cable news networks. It's 10p can't even draw 800k viewers. Just incredible to see."
CNN's place in the 2024 election is to be determined.
The network is no longer comfort-food for blatant anti-Trumpers and ardent leftists, as it was under Jeff Zucker. Conservatives, rightfully, still have trust issues with the brand. And the recent promotion of Jim Acosta to the weekday lineup adds to the concerns that moderates already have about the network's dedication to the facts.
CNN is stuck in no man's land, without a vision or an obvious demand for its existence.
Plus, there's not a single host the network employs for whom viewers are clamoring. The new primetime trio of Kaitlan Collins, Laura Coates, and Abby Phillip is not the answer.
And according to In Touch Weekly, New CEO Mark Thompson considers the old guard of Anderson Cooper, Chris Wallace, Wolf Blitzer and Jake Tapper not worth their exorbitant salaries.
"Everybody knows the focus is on cutting costs," the report claims. "No one is safe!"
The ratings for Super Tuesday spotlight why.
Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery should look to sell off CNN after the election. The network has peaked. Viewers have decided for which of the three cable news networks they no longer see use.