MSNBC Surges to All-Time Highs This October Beats CNN for 3rd Straight Month

MSNBC beat CNN among weekday prime total viewers during the final month before election day. In October 2016, MSNBC drew its biggest audiences ever in both weekday prime (M-F 8-11pm) and total day (M-Su 6am-6am), and far outpaced the competition in year-to-year growth across key dayparts and demos. MSNBC also drew its biggest total day and weekday prime audiences among the A25-54 demo since the last presidential election (since November 2012).

October 2016 marks the third straight month that MSNBC has beat third-ranked CNN in weekday prime among total viewers. MSNBC prime's year-to-year growth is more than double that of CNN and Fox News in both total viewers (+161% vs. CNN's +69% and FNC's +56% and the A25-54 demo (+253% vs. CNN's +107% and FNC's +101%) compared to October 2015. MSNBC was the third most-watched network in all of cable weekday prime in total viewers for the month, behind only Fox News and ESPN.

"Morning Joe" extended its winning streak over CNN's third-place "New Day," marking the 20th straight month ahead of CNN in total viewers and third straight advantage in the demo. "Morning Joe's" momentum continues to build as October marked the 6-9am time period's biggest total viewer audience in MSNBC's 20-year history.

Four more MSNBC programs each beat CNN among total viewers and simultaneously delivered their time periods' largest total audiences ever: "Hardball with Chris Matthews" at 7pm, "The Rachel Maddow Show" at 9pm, "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" at 10pm, and "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams" at 11pm. At 8pm, "All In with Chris Hayes" delivered the show's best total viewer average ever and the best in the time period since Nov. 2008.

MSNBC dayside (M-F 9am-5pm) posted the closest total viewer percentage gap with CNN since February 2014, and drew the daypart's biggest total viewer audience since April 2003 and best demo audience in four years (since Nov. 2012). Since making a strategic shift to breaking news, MSNBC dayside has steadily grown by significantly higher rates than any other cable news network and has steadily closed the percentage gap with CNN among total viewers for seven consecutive months.

On the weekends, "AM Joy" (Sa-Su 10am-12pm) delivered the time period's biggest total viewer audiences since April 2003 and biggest demo audiences since Sep. 2008 (Sat.) and Sep. 2005 (Sun).

NOTE: October 2016 ratings are based on Nielsen Live+Same data day for 9/26/16 -10/30/16. Individual show data represents regular programming only, excluding the debates.

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