Staff Reports
In a historic victory, the left-leaning MSNBC has finally knocked the conservative Fox News off its high horse as the most watched cable news channel. This marks the end of Fox News’s impressive run of 120 consecutive weeks as the top-rated news network, a spot that has eluded MSNBC until now. According to recent Nielsen data, MSNBC seized the primetime viewership crown, averaging 1,520,857 viewers as compared to 1,504,429 for Fox News.
JUST IN: MSNBC is outperforming Fox News in primetime viewership for the first time in almost three years.
Fox News made a HUGE mistake firing Tucker Carlson.https://t.co/GzwK7nZLoJ
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) June 14, 2023
While liberal viewers are undoubtedly cheering for this turnaround, it reflects a significant setback for Fox News. The right-wing cable news channel had to bear the brunt of the firing of one of its biggest stars, Tucker Carlson. Since Carlson’s abrupt exit, the primetime slot has fallen significantly from its former glory. Fox News has been struggling to regain its viewership, and a revolving line up of guest anchors has been unable to halt the slide in the ratings.
New: According to Nielsen data, Fox News averaged 1,504,429 primetime viewers last week, while MSNBC averaged 1,520,857 primetime viewers.
Barring a last-second data reporting change, Fox's 120 week-long winning streak in primetime appears to be over. https://t.co/Q48BSYuFE7
— A.J. Katz (@ajkatztv) June 13, 2023
Nevertheless, while Fox News was grappling with declining viewership, Tucker Carlson was making a killing in his independent venture. Within two weeks, Carlson has released three videos on Twitter, which have collectively garnered over 205.1 million views. The success of his content, including his opinion on the former President Donald Trump’s indictment and criticism of the Washington establishment, has struck a chord with a broad audience. The numbers prove that Carlson, without a doubt, was the real draw for Fox News.
The dynamics of the cable news landscape have been shifting in favor of MSNBC, which often sees a surge in viewership during periods of political unrest triggered by Trump. However, for the Fox News network, this softening viewership could have significant implications. It may affect the network’s ability to negotiate better fees from cable providers or the standing of Fox News among advertising agencies.
It remains to be seen whether Fox News can recover from the recent setback and reclaim its top spot or if MSNBC consolidates its lead. In any case, the growing demand for alternative perspectives in news and politics is becoming more evident. The example of Tucker Carlson’s independent venture shows that people value and want a different viewpoint.
