CNN ratings crater in May despite bump from Trump town hall
CNN’s ratings have dropped by a staggering 25% in primetime compared to last year, according to Nielsen – despite a boost in viewership from the network’s controversial town hall with former President Donald Trump during the month of May. The news channel, which is run by Chris Licht, had an average of 494,000 total viewers in primetime in May, and just 113,000 viewers in the key 25-54-year-old demographic. While the 3.3 million viewers the network pulled in during its May 10 Trump town hall hosted by correspondent Kaitlan Collins helped CNN’s ratings, viewership dropped sharply in the second half of the month, causing ratings to plummet by 16% compared to the previous month.
“Although CNN’s town hall with Trump hosted by Collins gave the network a ratings jump, it turned off the network’s core audience in the days following the broadcast,” said Nielsen. Even “Anderson Cooper 360”, which was the network’s most-watched show in May with 646,000 total viewers, fell short when compared to rival cable news networks. For example, Fox News had seven out of the top 10 shows led by “The Five” with 2.6 million total viewers. MSNBC’s most-watched show was “The Rachel Maddow Show”, which reeled in 2.3 million total viewers. CNN’s left-leaning coverage during the Trump administration has also put the network under pressure, at the expense of its core audience. In recent weeks, conservative cable network outlier Newsmax has topped CNN in several time slots.
FAQs:
What were CNN’s ratings in May compared to the previous year?
CNN’s ratings declined by 25% in May compared to the previous year, according to Nielsen.
How many viewers did CNN’s Trump town hall get?
CNN’s Trump town hall on May 10 hosted by correspondent Kaitlan Collins got 3.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Which network had seven out of the top 10 shows in cable news in May?
Fox News had seven out of the top 10 shows in cable news in May, led by “The Five” with 2.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.
Which show was CNN’s most-watched in May?
“Anderson Cooper 360”, which was the network’s most-watched show in May, drew 646,000 total viewers, according to Nielsen.
CNN’s May ratings plummeted despite a boost from Trump’s town hall event.
CNN saw a significant decline in primetime ratings in May, with a 25% drop compared to the same period last year, despite a boost from its controversial town hall with former President Donald Trump. The news network, headed by Chris Licht, drew an average of 494,000 total viewers during primetime, with just 113,000 viewers in the 25-54 age bracket, according to Nielsen. Although CNN garnered 3.3 million viewers during its May 10 Trump town hall, hosted by Kaitlan Collins, viewers dropped substantially during the latter part of the month, leading to a 16% decrease in primetime ratings compared to April. While “Anderson Cooper 360” was the most viewed show in May, with 646,000 total viewers, it remained CNN’s least-watched program compared to rival cable news networks. Despite CNN’s efforts to pivot to more non-partisan content, its left-leaning coverage during the Trump administration seemingly came at the cost of its core audience. Conservative cable network Newsmax recently outpaced CNN in several time slots, with the Eric Bolling-hosted program beating Cooper in the 8 p.m. timeslot.