The aftermath of the 2024 presidential election has been a whirlwind for news outlets, a time typically marked by heightened viewership as the public eagerly tunes in for results and analysis. However, not all networks have seen the post-election spike in audience they hoped for.
Nielsen ratings show that MSNBC had a solid showing on election night, drawing 6 million viewers. Yet, in the days that followed, its viewership plummeted to under 1 million, a dramatic drop of more than half compared to its October numbers. In fact, the network experienced its lowest-rated non-holiday night of the year on Friday, Nov. 8.
This pattern of viewership loss was also seen after the 2016 election, following Donald Trump’s victory, but MSNBC managed to recover, enjoying its four most-watched years from 2017 to 2020, largely due to extensive coverage of Trump, which helped drive record revenue for news outlets.
CNN also saw a significant dip after the 2024 election. The network initially attracted 5.1 million viewers for its election coverage, but by the following days, that number dropped to just 611,000—representing a 36% decline from its October average of 953,000 viewers.
In contrast, Fox News experienced a notable increase in viewership. On election night, Fox drew more than 10 million viewers. Afterward, its average viewership soared to over 4 million, a 34% rise from its October numbers and a 58% jump compared to its year-to-date average for 2024.
This trend aligns with the typical pattern of left-leaning outlets losing viewers after a Trump victory, while right-leaning networks gain. However, there was one exception on the left-leaning side: The View. The ABC daytime talk show saw a significant uptick in viewers, even posting its best ratings in over three years. During the week of Nov. 5, The View averaged 3 million viewers, securing its spot as the top-rated daytime talk show. On the day after the election, it reached a decade-high 4.5 million viewers, the most it had seen since Barbara Walters’ farewell episode in 2014.
In total, 42 million people watched the election coverage across 18 TV networks, according to Nielsen, though this marked a 25% drop from the 57 million viewers who tuned in for the 2020 election.
Some media analysts suggest that this decline in viewership reflects a growing distrust in traditional media. Carlo Versano of Newsweek noted that traditional media is facing a dual crisis: a decline in business models and waning influence. He explained that many Americans now feel that the media cannot be trusted to deliver news that feels fair to them, which likely contributed to the sharp drop in viewership after the election.
