Politics
MSNBC’s New-Look Lineup Gets Off To Abysmal Start
MSNBC’s revamped primetime and weekend programming is already faltering, with dismal ratings, sharp audience drop-offs, and a primetime collapse from one of the network’s most promoted new faces. What was meant to signal a new chapter beyond Rachel Maddow’s dominance has instead exposed serious trouble.
In a bid to reshape its identity amid changing leadership and a shifting cable news landscape, MSNBC launched several new shows: The Weekend, The Weekend: Primetime, and The Weeknight. But if the early ratings are any indication, viewers are not impressed.
Take The Weekend, for example. Debuting at 7 a.m. on Saturday with hosts Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels, and Jackie Alemany, the show averaged just 433,000 total viewers and 39,000 in the key 25–54 demo. That’s a 27% and 44% drop, respectively, from the previous week. The Weekend: Primetime fared even worse in its debut at 6 p.m. Saturday night, with just 318,000 total viewers and 22,000 in the demo—a 19% and 39% nosedive compared to the prior weekend slot according to Adweek.
The weekday premiere wasn’t much better. The Weeknight, hosted by the ousted original Weekend crew of Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez, drew 819,000 total viewers and 78,000 in the demo—down 9% from the previous Monday. Even Jen Psaki’s The Briefing—despite crossing the million-viewer mark—only attracted 65,000 in the 25–54 demo, a figure cable execs typically consider a red flag.
But the real implosion came at 9 p.m. ET—formerly Rachel Maddow’s territory. Psaki’s highly anticipated prime-time debut on Tuesday initially brought in 1.2 million viewers and 139,000 in the demo. But by the very next night, according to Fox News, those numbers cratered to just over one million viewers and a dismal 65,000 in the demo. That’s a 53% collapse in just 24 hours.
Even worse, Psaki’s drop among the 18–49 demographic was catastrophic: down from 113,000 on Tuesday to just 37,000 on Wednesday—a 67% decline. By comparison, Maddow routinely averaged 1.9 million total viewers and 141,000 in the key demo. Psaki’s second episode shed nearly half of that.
It didn’t help that Psaki’s Wednesday episode was trounced not just by Fox News and CNN, but by reruns of Friends, Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, and even Paw Patrol. According to Fox, 38 different cable news offerings outperformed The Briefing among the advertiser-coveted demo. The 9 p.m. hour marked MSNBC’s lowest-rated Wednesday prime-time slot since before Trump’s second inauguration.
The larger picture looks just as grim. Across its primetime block, MSNBC averaged just over 1 million total viewers and 88,000 in the demo last week—down 14% and 12%, respectively. Those numbers come despite heavy promotion, fresh formats, and high-profile hosts.
Per Adweek, MSNBC says it remains optimistic, suggesting that initial ratings don’t reflect long-term potential. Network insiders blamed stiff competition from sports playoffs and live coverage of Pope Francis’ funeral the weekend before for the sluggish start. Still, industry observers note that sharp declines like these—especially in the all-important demo—can be hard to reverse.
The programming shake-up also included cancelling shows hosted by Joy Reid and Alex Wagner, signaling a clear bet on new blood. But if the ratings don’t recover soon, MSNBC may find itself scrambling for yet another reset.
For now, the numbers speak loudest: the relaunch isn’t just off to a slow start—it’s a warning siren echoing across 30 Rock.
