MSNBC leads cable news in primetime Election Night viewership

MSNBC averaged 2.92 million viewers in primetime on Election Night, surpassing both Fox News and CNN, according to Nielsen fast national ratings released Wednesday.

Fox followed with 2.76 million viewers in primetime, while CNN drew 1.68 million viewers. The figures reflect television audiences between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. and exclude out-of-home viewing.

The night marked MSNBC’s most-watched primetime and total day since Election Day in 2024.

Despite MSNBC’s primetime lead, Fox News led in total day viewership, averaging 1.97 million viewers. MSNBC averaged 1.28 million, and CNN averaged 748,000.

In the adults 25-54 demographic, CNN led in primetime with 513,000 viewers. MSNBC followed with 461,000, and Fox News drew 423,000 viewers. Across total day, Fox News led the demo with 236,000 viewers, followed by CNN with 176,000 and MSNBC with 168,000.

Between 4 p.m. and midnight, Fox News averaged 2.67 million total viewers, compared to 2.14 million for MSNBC and 1.21 million for CNN. Fox News also led in the demo during this time block with 354,000 viewers. CNN and MSNBC followed with 326,000 and 303,000, respectively.

On digital platforms, Fox News averaged 10.16 million YouTube video views, according to data from Emplifi. MSNBC followed with 9.44 million, and CNN drew 5.84 million views. NBC News recorded 3.91 million views, while ABC News and CBS News garnered 3.74 million and 1.72 million views, respectively.

For comparison, Election Night 2024 coverage drew 42.3 million viewers across 18 networks. 

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