Cable News Ratings

This Is CNN: Woeful Ratings, Just Not as Woeful as Last Year

December 28th, 2011

On the heels of 2010's primetime numbers, the worst for CNN in at least 15 years, CNN was up in 2011 with both advertiser targeted adults 25-54 and total viewers. But even with a 17% gain in total viewers and a 29% gain with adults 25-54 in primetime, 2011 was still CNN's second-worst rated year over the last 15.

PRIMETIME 25-54

08:00P -11:00P	MTWTFSS
			P 25-54
Network	Period	Dates	(000s)
CNN	2008	12/31/07-12/28/08	453
CNN	2003	12/30/02-12/28/03	373
CNN	2001	01/01/01-12/30/01	353
CNN	2005	12/27/04-12/25/05	271
CNN	2009	12/29/08-12/27/09	263
CNN	2002	12/31/01-12/29/02	261
CNN	1998	12/29/97-12/27/98	257
CNN	2004	12/29/03-12/26/04	251
CNN	2007	01/01/07-12/30/07	243
CNN	2000	12/27/99-12/31/00	242
CNN	1999	12/28/98-12/26/99	231
CNN	1997	03/31/97-12/28/97	229
CNN	2006	12/26/05-12/31/06	225
CNN	2011	12/27/10-12/25/11	222
CNN	2010	12/28/09-12/26/10	172

PRIMETIME P2+

08:00P -11:00P	MTWTFSS
			P 2+
Network	Period	Dates	(000s)
CNN	2008	12/31/07-12/28/08	1292
CNN	2003	12/30/02-12/28/03	1095
CNN	2001	01/01/01-12/30/01	1009
CNN	1998	12/29/97-12/27/98	957
CNN	2009	12/29/08-12/27/09	901
CNN	2002	12/31/01-12/29/02	898
CNN	2004	12/29/03-12/26/04	855
CNN	2005	12/27/04-12/25/05	853
CNN	1997	03/31/97-12/28/97	787
CNN	1999	12/28/98-12/26/99	781
CNN	2007	01/01/07-12/30/07	764
CNN	2000	12/27/99-12/31/00	753
CNN	2006	12/26/05-12/31/06	753
CNN	2011	12/27/10-12/25/11	689
CNN	2010	12/28/09-12/26/10	590

On a percentage basis, year/year might look better for CNN than its rivals MSNBC (which was up 2% with total viewers year/year and down 3% with adults 25-54 in primetime) and Fox News (down 8% in total viewers and down 14% with adults 25-54 in primetime) but CNN still was in third place behind MSNBC. Fox News was better than the combined CNN & MSNBC in primetime with total viewers and only ~37,000 viewers short of a combined CNN/MSNBC with adults 25-54.

2011 Primetime

FNC: 1,868,000 viewers (427,000 in 25-54)
CNN: 689,000 viewers (222,000 in 25-54)
MSNBC: 775,000 viewers (242,000 in 25-54)