Nexstar Media Group’s cable news outlet NewsNation continued to grow its audience in August, with the network seeing sharp year-over gains in total day viewership, according to Nielsen data.
NewsNation increased its total day audience by 14 percent compared to August 2024, while its adults 25-54 audience rose 17 percent. Excluding sports networks, the gains made NewsNation the fastest-growing basic cable network overall during the period.
The network has now logged eight consecutive months of year-over-year growth in total day viewers, driven by strong performances in both its morning and daytime programming. “Morning in America” posted the steepest climb in total viewership, up 86 percent compared to the same month last year. “NewsNation Live with Marni Hughes” saw the most growth in the 25-54 demographic, with its audience more than tripling, up 200 percent year-over-year.
The gains helped NewsNation occasionally outpace MSNBC in daytime among younger viewers. Nielsen data showed the network exceeded MSNBC’s performance in the 25-54 demographic on at least three days in August, including August 13, 15 and 27. Since December 2022, NewsNation has topped MSNBC in the demographic at least 46 times.
Prime-time programming also saw modest improvements. “Cuomo,” anchored by former CNN host Chris Cuomo, remained the network’s highest-rated show, averaging 151,000 viewers in total and 13,000 in the 25-54 demographic. The program was up 14 percent compared to its first quarter on the air.
At 9 p.m. Eastern, “On Balance with Leland Vittert” marked its sixth month in primetime with an average audience of 101,000 viewers, up 4 percent compared to its launch. The show grew nearly 10 percent in the 25-54 demographic, reaching 13,000 viewers in August.
Ashleigh Banfield’s namesake program also benefited from a heavy news cycle dominated by crime coverage. “Banfield” climbed 18 percent in total viewership and added 10 percent more viewers in the key 25-54 demographic compared to August 2024.
Launched in 2020 from the remains of the WGN America entertainment channel, NewsNation initially struggled to attract viewers in a crowded cable news landscape, but has found its footing in recent months with differentiated news programming that is intended to appeal to a wide audience of politically-diverse Americans.
While its overall audience remains smaller than those of the established cable news brands, NewsNation executives have pointed to consistent year-over-year growth as a sign that viewers are increasingly aware of the channel. The ratings data released this week points to August as being one of NewsNation’s stronger months.
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