MSNBC has seen a significant downturn since Jen Psaki took over as the primary host from Rachel Maddow last month, transforming what was once seen as a potential highlight into a more lackluster offering.
The cable network, struggling under this new leadership, is anticipated to be spun off by its parent company, Comcast, later this year. Psaki, known for her tenure as a spokesperson for former President Joe Biden, made a name for herself with her engaging “Psaki Bomb” segment but seems to be facing challenges in maintaining viewer interest.
Viewership has plummeted by an astonishing 47% compared to the audience numbers that Maddow and Alex Wagner attracted during their timeslots. The decline is particularly stark among the 25-54 age demographic, which advertisers prioritize: Psaki only managed to draw in 78,000 viewers, a 52% fall from the 161,000 viewers that Maddow and Wagner pulled this year.
“She kind of lacks excitement. I don’t think she’s the strongest broadcaster,” remarked a media insider recently.
Following Maddow’s return to hosting for the initial 100 days of the Trump administration, Wagner was moved out to accommodate Psaki. Her promotion from the weekend schedule was a bold attempt by MSNBC to inject some new energy into their prime-time offerings.
However, initial signals indicate that the revamp under new president Rebecca Kutler, who succeeded Rashida Jones in January, might not be hitting the mark as planned. Lee Reid’s program, “The Reidout,” was quickly canceled and replaced with “The Peacenight,” which has drawn some comparisons to Fox News’ successful “The Five.”
The new roundtable show—co-hosted by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez, and Michael Steele—averaged about 772,000 viewers in May. Yet, among the crucial 25-54 demographic, they captured only 72,000 viewers, down 20% from previous performances.
In a broader context, MSNBC’s average viewer count for primetime in May fell to 877,000, a 24% decline compared to the previous year. In terms of the 25-54 demographic, the network recorded just 73,000 viewers, which marks a 34% decrease. Overall, the network’s total viewership dropped significantly, with just 545,000 viewers, reflecting a 33% reduction, which includes a mere 49,000 viewers in the 25-54 segment, down by 41%.
MSNBC has opted not to comment on these shifts.
A source noted that after four months into the Biden presidency, there’s an uptick in news fatigue across the board. Yet, despite these ratings struggles, it seems Psaki is slowly making some strides in her new role.
“The lead-in audience at 8 PM has shown improvement,” the insider added.
Interestingly, despite the uptick in news fatigue, Fox News continues to dominate the ratings. The conservative network, which shares ownership with the Post, pulled in an average of 2.46 million viewers during primetime, along with 1.56 million during other programming. In the same category, Fox attracted 262,000 viewers, an increase of 32%, while daytime views went up by 22% to 180,000.
CNN, on the other hand, averaged only 426,000 primetime viewers and 353,000 overall, showing declines of 18% and 24%, respectively.
The most-watched show in May belonged to Fox’s “The Five,” which attracted a whopping 3.77 million viewers, followed closely by “Jesse Watters Prime Time” with 3.23 million. Fox also led in ratings for other notable programs against Psaki, such as “Gutfeld!” and “Special Report with Brett Baier.”
Fox recently highlighted its record-setting viewership, describing it as “one of the highest rated quarters in cable news history,” and noting its impressive ability to engage audiences amid dynamic news cycles.
