MSNBC Ratings Plummet in New Lineup’s First Three Weeks

New York, NY — MSNBC‘s new prime-time lineup, launched on May 5, 2025, has struggled to resonate with viewers, leading to a significant decline in ratings. The network’s audience fell to near record lows, particularly within the critical 25-54 age demographic.

During May, MSNBC experienced a staggering 41% drop in the prime-time demo and a 34% decline in total day viewership compared to the same month last year. The network’s total day average fell to 49,000 viewers, marking one of its worst performances in 2025, while prime-time viewership sank to 73,000.

In contrast, Fox News emerged as the only major network to report year-over-year increases for May, with total viewers up 21% and a 22% rise in total day demos. In prime time, Fox News gained 23% in total viewers and saw a 32% jump in the demo.

CNN also faced challenges, reporting a 24% drop in total day viewers and an 18% decline in prime-time viewership. Its prime-time average stood at 426,000 viewers, significantly lower than Fox News’s 2.5 million and MSNBC’s 877,000.

The new MSNBC lineup included the launch of ‘The Weeknight’ and Jen Psaki‘s new show, which replaced Alex Wagner‘s program at 9 pm, while Rachel Maddow returned to host on Mondays. Despite the lineup changes, ‘The Weeknight’ saw viewership decline by 13% compared to the average viewership for 2025 before its debut.

According to reports, ‘The Weeknight’ averaged 770,000 viewers, down 36% from last year’s figures. Psaki’s show averaged 973,000 viewers since its launch, a 46% decrease from the 1.82 million viewers that tuned in for Maddow earlier this year. Even Maddow’s new program saw a 24% drop from last year’s audience.

Industry experts suggest that the decline could be linked to a growing trend of younger audiences turning away from traditional news outlets in favor of alternative media sources, such as podcasts and YouTube. Meanwhile, upstart cable news channel NewsNation also reported gains, with total day viewers up by 21% and the demo rising by 50%. Newsmax experienced a 60% surge in its total day demo, despite a slight overall dip in viewership.