Nexstar Media Group’s cable news channel NewsNation continued to post strong growth in ratings among overall and key demographic viewers in the month of September, according to Nielsen ratings.
The channel increased its prime-time audience by 23 percent to an average of 118,000 viewers, and in the key demographic of viewers between the ages of 25 and 54 years old (A25-54), the network grew 8 percent, drawing 14,000 viewers
NewsNation was the only cable news channel to post gains in the prime-time demographic and the only network to notch double-digit growth in total viewers, the network said in a statement.
Prime hours were buoyed by “Cuomo” at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), which averaged nearly 200,000 viewers, a 35 percent increase from the same period last year. Host Chris Cuomo’s program also improved 33 percent in the 25-54 demographic. At 9 p.m. ET, “On Balance with Leland Vittert” drew 124,000 total viewers, marking a 45 percent gain overall and 36 percent growth among younger viewers.
In daytime, the channel rose 35 percent in total viewership to 62,000 average viewers, while its 25-54 audience climbed 43 percent to 10,000. It was the network’s second-highest daytime month since adopting a 24-hour schedule in June 2023, with every program between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. posting double-digit increases.
The September performance marked NewsNation’s ninth consecutive month of year-over-year growth in total day audience for live news telecasts. Ratings gains have been consistent throughout 2024, with monthly increases ranging from 4 percent in April to 47 percent in June. Year-to-date, the channel has seen sustained double-digit improvements in most months: January up 29 percent, February up 24 percent, March up 15 percent, May up 20 percent, July up 6 percent, August up 14 percent and September up 35 percent.
The Fox News Channel is the top cable news network among total viewers, and its prime-time programming tops other outlets with overall and A25-54 viewers. CNN and MSNBC often rank in second and third place with overall viewers, though NewsNation’s prime-time programming has occasionally topped MSNBC in A25-54 viewers.
—
Read more:
