‘Morning Joe’ Hits New Low As Brutal Post-Election Slump Worsens

Once a flagship program for the network, MSNBC’s Morning Joe is facing its toughest test yet as viewers continue to tune out in droves. The ratings for the morning talk show hit new lows this week, further straining its position amid upheaval at parent company Comcast.

On Tuesday, Nielsen reported that Morning Joe attracted just 680,000 total viewers, a 12 percent drop from Monday’s broadcast. The program also struggled in the highly sought-after demographic of adults aged 25-54, drawing only 86,000 viewers — another 12 percent decline.

The figures mark a steep 38 percent drop in total audience and a 37 percent decline in the key demo compared to the show’s average for 2024. Tuesday’s broadcast was the third-lowest-rated of the year according to The Independent.

The timing couldn’t be worse for the long-running program hosted by Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. On Wednesday, Comcast announced plans to spin off much of NBCUniversal’s cable channel lineup, including MSNBC and CNBC, as part of a strategic pivot to adapt to the ongoing trend of cord-cutting. Mark Lazarus, the present chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, is set to become the CEO of the new company.

Lazarus stressed the benefits of this move on Wednesday, stating, “As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports and entertainment.”

Adding to the challenges, Scarborough and Brzezinski have faced mounting criticism since it was revealed that they met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago following his election victory. While the hosts have maintained that the meeting was journalistic in nature, many viewers perceived it as overly cozy, alienating segments of the audience that once saw the program as a bulwark of liberal commentary.

Morning Joe saw an immediate drop in viewership following its controversial Mar-a-Lago announcement. During the 6 a.m. hour, the program averaged 839,000 total viewers, including 113,000 in the 25-54 demographic. By the 7 a.m. block, total viewership fell to 694,000, with a sharp 38 percent decline in the key demo

Nielsen’s “live plus same day” ratings revealed an unusual trend: many viewers relied on DVR to watch the contentious 6 a.m. segment, with 413,000 viewers watching later—nearly matching the 426,000 who watched live. This represented a 77 percent increase in DVR viewership compared to the prior week. However, subsequent hours of the broadcast saw far fewer DVR viewers, signaling waning interest as the program progressed.

The backlash appears to have had a lasting impact. Despite its extended four-hour format and prime billing as MSNBC’s morning show, Morning Joe has struggled to recover its footing, even as other cable news programs have seen spikes in viewership post-election.

The show first debuted on MSNBC in 2007, replacing Imus in the Morning after Don Imus’s dismissal. Initially showcasing Scarborough’s conservative stance and Brzezinski’s progressive views, the dynamic shifted over time as Scarborough adopted a more centrist position, particularly during the Trump presidency. The co-hosts’ personal relationship also garnered attention, culminating in their 2018 marriage.

For Morning Joe, the problem appears especially acute. The show’s combination of political analysis and insider access, once a hallmark of its appeal, now seems to be losing resonance with viewers who are seeking fresher perspectives or have shifted to alternative news sources.

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