The long-awaited verdict was finally in.
After a near-two month defamation trial between actors and former spouses Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, the jury officially made their decision in a Virginia courtroom on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 1. Depp emerged victorious, as his former wife Heard was ordered to pay him a net total of $8.3 million, based on the damages (as claimed by Depp’s legal team) her 2018 Washington Post op-ed (alleging domestic abuse by Depp) had done to his career.
Within the 3-4 p.m. Eastern hour, Fox News Channel led the cable news outlet in verdict coverage with 2.22 million total viewers and 436,000 within the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. While CNN, with 1.18 million viewers, drew almost half of FNC’s total audience, the news network posted a closer margin in adults 25-54, drawing 314,000 of the demo — CNN’s peak performance among adults 25-54 for the week (thru June 5). MSNBC trailed behind with 713,000 viewers and 72,000 adults 25-54.
As a gauge of how much interest there was in the announcement of the Depp-Heard verdict, each cable news outlet experienced a significant boost compared to their previous hour of news (in the 2-3 p.m. ET hour on June 1):
- Fox News Channel: (June 1, 2022 @ 2-3 p.m. ET) 1.579 million viewers; 323,000 adults 25-54
- Fox News Channel: (June 1, 2022 @ 3-4 p.m. ET) 2.219 million viewers; 436,000 adults 25-54
- Difference: +0.640 million viewers (+40 percent); +123,000 adults 25-54 (+35 percent)
- CNN: (June 1, 2022 @ 2-3 p.m. ET) 0.586 million viewers; 143,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: (June 1, 2022 @ 3-4 p.m. ET) 1.178 million viewers; 314,000 adults 25-54
- Difference: +0.592 million viewers (+101 percent); +171,000 adults 25-54 (+120 percent)
- MSNBC: (June 1, 2022 @ 2-3 p.m. ET) 0.495 million viewers; 59,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: (June 1, 2022 @ 3-4 p.m. ET) 0.713 million viewers; 72,000 adults 25-54
- Difference: +0.218 million viewers (+44 percent); +13,000 adults 25-54 (+22 percent)
On Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 p.m. ET, President Biden addressed the nation on gun control in the wake of recent notable mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Tex. Upon repeated utterances of “Enough!”, Biden fervently urged Congress to act with legislation to curb gun violence. He went so far to use the label of “unconscionable” for those GOP senators who’ve failed to even bring such proposals up for debate.
ABC led all outlets in coverage for Biden’s June 2nd address, delivering 5.1 million total viewers. CBS (4 million) was runner-up, followed by NBC (3.11 million). Nielsen did not offer a separate time slot designation for Fox News and CNN but based on the 7-8 p.m. hour, Fox News averaged 2.675 million while CNN drew 758,000. From 7:31-7:49 p.m. ET, 1.2 million tuned in to MSNBC (“The Reidout”, which led out of the speech, was the network’s most-watched telecast of the week). 1.1 million watched the Spanish-language version of Biden’s speech on Univision.
Cable news averages for May 30-June 5, 2022:
Total Day (May 30-June 5 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.330 million viewers; 203,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.556 million viewers; 58,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.458 million viewers; 96,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.177 million viewers; 53,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.127 million viewers; 34,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.120 million viewers; 23,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.105 million viewers; 13,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.100 million viewers; 14,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (May 30-June 4 @ 8-11 p.m.; June 5 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 2.010 million viewers; 290,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.800 million viewers; 71,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.603 million viewers; 122,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.223 million viewers; 74,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.205 million viewers; 69,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.154 million viewers; 27,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.112 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.083 million viewers; 13,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.046 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54
Top 10 most-watched cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) in total viewers:
1. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.326 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.236 million viewers
3. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 6/3/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.095 million viewers
4. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.087 million viewers
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.055 million viewers
6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.053 million viewers
7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.050 million viewers
8. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Fri. 6/3/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.705 million viewers
9. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.675 million viewers
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.671 million viewers
91. The Reidout (MSNBC, Thu. 6/2/2022 7:49 PM, 11 min.) 1.223 million viewers
104. CNN Newsroom (CNN, Wed. 6/1/2022 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 1.178 million viewers
167. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 602” (HBO, Fri. 6/3/2022 10:01 PM, 58 min.) 0.740 million viewers
310. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 6/5/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.469 million viewers
339. Very Scary People “Ken And Barbie Killers: Pt2” (HLN, Sun. 6/5/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.438 million viewers
375. The Daily Show (CMDY, Wed. 6/1/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.366 million viewers
376. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 5/31/2022 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.365 million viewers
396. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1107” (CNBC, Tue. 5/31/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.323 million viewers
441. Deep Water Salvage “(201) End Of The Line” (TWC, Sun. 6/5/2022 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.269 million viewers
470. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7215” (TBS, Fri. 6/3/2022 12:58 AM, 30 min.) 0.254 million viewers
658. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Mon. 5/30/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.183 million viewers
Top 10 cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54
1. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.548 million adults 25-54
2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.500 million adults 25-54
3. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 5/31/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.466 million adults 25-54
4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.465 million adults 25-54
5. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.455 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 6/3/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.450 million adults 25-54
7. The Story (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.436 million adults 25-54
8. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 6/2/2022 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.414 million adults 25-54
9. Special Report with Bret Baier (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 6:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.413 million adults 25-54
10. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Wed. 6/1/2022 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.413 million adults 25-54
24. CNN Newsroom (CNN, Wed. 6/1/2022 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.314 million adults 25-54
78. Very Scary People “Ken And Barbie Killers: Pt2” (HLN, Sun. 6/5/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.200 million adults 25-54
134. The Daily Show (CMDY, Wed. 6/1/2022 11:00 PM, 31 min.) 0.144 million adults 25-54
143. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 6/5/2022 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.140 million adults 25-54
147. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1107” (CNBC, Tue. 5/31/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.139 million adults 25-54
151. Presidential News Conference “President Biden Gun Violence Address” (MSNBC, Thu. 6/2/2022 7:31 PM, 18 min.) 0.137 million adults 25-54
175. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 602” (HBO, Fri. 6/3/2022 10:01 PM, 58 min.) 0.127 million adults 25-54
259. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee “Episode 7215” (TBS, Fri. 6/3/2022 12:58 AM, 30 min.) 0.099 million adults 25-54
403. America’s Morning Headquarters (TWC, Fri. 6/3/2022 9:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.067 million adults 25-54
555. How America Works (FBN, Sat. 6/4/2022 10:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.049 million adults 25-54
741. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sun. 6/5/2022 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.034 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
