MSNBC’s latest attempt to reverse its downward ratings spiral appears to be faltering, as the liberal cable network’s recently launched primetime schedule has failed to stop a dramatic viewer exodus.
According to internal ratings data, the network has suffered a steep 41 percent drop in the coveted 25–54 age demographic during primetime this May compared to the same month last year.
Total day ratings have also dropped by 34 percent year over year.
This decline comes just weeks after former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki officially replaced Rachel Maddow in the 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday time slot.
On May 5, MSNBC unveiled its new slate, hoping to reinvigorate a struggling lineup. However, early results suggest viewers aren’t sticking around.
Psaki’s show, “The Briefing,” failed to reach even 1 million total viewers on May 22, pulling in just 973,000 on average since it began.
For comparison, Maddow drew 1.82 million during the same time slot while covering President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. The drop represents a 46 percent decline.
In the key 25–54 demographic, Psaki has struggled to resonate.
On May 22, the show brought in only 55,000 viewers in that age range. By contrast, Fox News’ “Hannity,” which airs at the same hour, secured 2.3 million total viewers that night—including 210,000 in the key demographic.
Compounding the problem, MSNBC also introduced “The Weeknight” at 7 p.m. on the same day.
The panel-style program features Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez and serves as the official replacement for Joy Reid’s canceled show “The ReidOut,” the Daily Mail reports.
The new format, however, has failed to capture the audience’s attention.
On May 22, “The Weeknight” attracted only 707,000 total viewers and a mere 56,000 in the critical demo. The show’s average—770,000 viewers—is 36 percent below what the network pulled at that hour a year earlier.
Maddow herself hasn’t been immune to the ratings slide. Since the schedule change, her Monday-only show has averaged 1.8 million viewers—a 24 percent drop from the 2.4 million who tuned in last year.
Meanwhile, CNN continues to trail Fox News in total viewers but has managed to outperform MSNBC in the 25–54 demo across nearly every primetime slot except 10 p.m., where Abby Phillip holds a lead.
Fox News remains the dominant force in cable news. The Five continues to lead all programs, averaging 3.77 million nightly viewers in May.
Across the board, Fox was the only one of the three major cable networks to post year-over-year gains, with viewership up 21 percent overall and 22 percent in the key demo.
The ratings collapse at MSNBC comes amid corporate turbulence as Comcast executives push to spin off the network into a new publicly traded company.
The move has triggered internal shakeups and sparked uncertainty among on-air talent.
Election night favorite Steve Kornacki announced in April he would exit his MSNBC duties to focus solely on NBC News, where he will contribute to programs such as “Meet the Press,” “Today” and “NBC Nightly News” along with NBC’s streaming outlet.
Another potential departure looms with longtime MSNBC anchor Ari Melber.
The host of “The Beat,” which airs at 6 p.m., is reportedly in talks with competitors and may pursue launching his own media company.
Melber, also MSNBC’s chief legal correspondent, maintains a sizable digital audience, a key asset as MSNBC’s new leadership eyes expansion into streaming and YouTube.
Despite the recent changes, Psaki and the network are working to rebuild viewership following the lineup shift.
The long-term outcome of MSNBC’s new approach remains to be seen, but current ratings suggest significant challenges ahead.
