Anderson Cooper’s Podcast Rebrand Amid Ratings Decline

CNN made a notable shift on Thursday, trying to present longtime host Anderson Cooper as a podcaster as the network’s prime-time ratings took a significant dive.

The redesign of “Anderson Cooper 360” aims to give it a more podcast-like feel. This comes in response to a sharp drop in viewership that CNN has experienced over the past year.

In fact, CNN’s prime-time ratings saw a decline of 42% in the third quarter of 2025. The network’s audience has dropped from about 1.3 million viewers in 2016 to just 553,000 as of February. That’s a significant change, wouldn’t you say?

Podcasts became especially popular during the 2024 campaign, particularly after President Donald Trump made appearances on shows like “The Joe Rogan Experience” and “This Weekend with Theo Von,” which tend to engage younger listeners.

Despite the overall downturn, Cooper’s show still performs relatively well. The average viewership in the third quarter of 2025 was around 616,000, and it was 573,000 in July. Interestingly, the show managed to pull in over 1 million viewers on a Monday. That’s something, right?

Changes to the set design for Cooper’s show took place just days ago. It’s worth noting, as CNN’s Brian Stelter mentioned.

Interestingly, Cooper signed a contract to remain with the network back in December, even with the waning ratings. This move caught many off guard. The deal allows him some flexibility to focus on digital content aimed at viewers subscribed to CNN’s online platforms.

Having been with CNN since 2001, Cooper now reportedly makes a salary of $18 million.

For context, CNN’s ratings continuously lag behind those of Fox News and MSNBC. In the first week of March, CNN averaged 1 million viewers, while MSNBC drew in about 1.3 million, and Fox News led the pack with an average of 3.1 million viewers.