MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight Sees Ratings Dip

The week ending Aug. 21 was one where, in the cable news world, a new nightly program made its eagerly anticipated debut, and a long-running show ended abruptly.

Alex Wagner, an MSNBC anchor from 2011-15 with stops at CBS and Showtime before returning to MSNBC in 2021 as a fill-in host for such shows as “Rachel Maddow Show,” “All In,” and “Deadline: White House,” had her new weeknight MSNBC program “Alex Wagner Tonight” launch on Tuesday, Aug. 16. It airs Tuesdays thru Fridays in the hour formerly occupied by “Rachel Maddow Show” which has now been scaled back to solely Monday nights.

“Alex Wagner Tonight” debuted to 2.004 million viewers (the 36th most-watched telecast of all cable news for the week ending Aug. 21; 2nd highest among MSNBC shows), including 183,000 in the key 25-54 demographic, according to Nielsen Media Research. It was the network’s top telecast of Aug. 16. For the week (Aug. 16-19), the program averaged 1.71 million viewers along with 161,000 adults 25-54.

Compared to the respective time slots from one week prior (Aug. 9-12 @ 9–10 p.m.), when the hour was then labeled as “MSNBC Prime,” “Alex Wagner Tonight” was actually down 8 percent in total viewers and off 20 percent in the key demo. Those declines come with the caveat that MSNBC overall for Aug. 8-14 was hugely boosted by initial coverage of the FBI’s search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. From “MSNBC Prime” of Aug. 2-5, “Wagner” was up 35 percent in total audience and up 28 percent in adults 25-54. Bottom line: “Alex Wagner Tonight” got off to a positive start and, like “Maddow,” is already MSNBC’s top prime time program on its respective nights.

Currently, under the ownership of the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery, some notable changes are occurring at CNN. This past spring, it swiftly pulled the plug on the CNN+ streaming service that lasted a mere four weeks. And it was during this particular week, that the network abruptly canceled “Reliable Sources,” the Sunday morning news program (first established in 1993) that analyzed the week in American news media. Its final edition, hosted by Brian Stelter (which was his last day at CNN, after nine years) with guest NPR’s Eric Deggans, drew a relatively steady mark of 769,000 viewers. This was CNN’s most-watched telecast on Sunday, Aug. 21. It also outdrew every MSNBC program on that date.

Stelter’s “Reliable Sources” predecessor Howard Kurtz hosts Fox News Channel’s “MediaBuzz.” Airing opposite “Sources,” it posted 1.39 million viewers, including 220,000 among adults 25-54, more than twice of “Sources'” demo delivery (105,000). For most of “MediaBuzz’s” run (since 2013), it had regularly bested “Reliable Sources” in the ratings.

Cable news averages for August 15-21, 2022:

Total Day (Aug. 15-21 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)

• Fox News Channel: 1.484 million viewers; 208,000 adults 25-54
• MSNBC: 0.822 million viewers; 87,000 adults 25-54
• CNN: 0.564 million viewers; 107,000 adults 25-54
• HLN: 0.176 million viewers; 48,000 adults 25-54
• CNBC: 0.127 million viewers; 32,000 adults 25-54
• Newsmax: 0.123 million viewers; 15,000 adults 25-54
• The Weather Channel: 0.107 million viewers; 22,000 adults 25-54
• Fox Business Network: 0.104 million viewers; 11,000 adults 25-54

Prime Time (Aug. 15-20 @ 8-11 p.m.; Aug. 21 @ 7-11 p.m.)

• Fox News Channel: 2.341 million viewers; 313,000 adults 25-54
• MSNBC: 1.360 million viewers; 127,000 adults 25-54
• CNN: 0.750 million viewers; 150,000 adults 25-54
• HLN: 0.235 million viewers; 60,000 adults 25-54
• CNBC: 0.182 million viewers; 59,000 adults 25-54
• Newsmax: 0.169 million viewers; 18,000 adults 25-54
• The Weather Channel: 0.140 million viewers; 25,000 adults 25-54
• Fox Business Network: 0.060 million viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54
• NewsNation: 0.057 million viewers; 6,000 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, Mon. 8/15/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.598 million viewers

2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.499 million viewers

3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/15/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.432 million viewers

4. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/17/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.388 million viewers

5. The Five (FOXNC, Thu. 8/18/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.388 million viewers

6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 8/17/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.379 million viewers

7. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.294 million viewers

8. The Five (FOXNC, Fri. 8/19/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.160 million viewers

9. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.071 million viewers

10. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 8/18/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 3.056 million viewers

14. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 8/15/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 2.753 million viewers

139. Don Lemon Tonight “2022 Wyoming Primary – Cheney Loses” (CNN, Tue. 8/16/2022 10:00 p.m., 60 min.) 1.115 million viewers

203. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 609” (HBO, Fri. 8/19/2022 10:01 p.m., 56 min.) 0.814 million viewers

292. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/21/2022 11:21 p.m., 35 min.) 0.628 million viewers

363. Forensic Files II “Tell No Tales” (HLN, Sun. 8/21/2022 10:30 p.m., 30 min.) 0.476 million viewers

381. The Daily Show (CMDY, Tue. 8/16/2022 11:00 p.m., 31 min.) 0.427 million viewers

410. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee “Episode 7212” (TBS, Thu. 8/18/2022 10:00 p.m., 30 min.) 0.361 million viewers

416. Varney & Company (FBN, Fri. 8/19/2022 10:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.346 million viewers

489. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1213” (CNBC, Thu. 8/18/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.257 million viewers

549. The Earth Unlocked “(105) Dying Places” (TWC, Sat. 8/20/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.230 million viewers

718. Newsnation: Rush Hour (NWSN, Thu. 8/18/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.160 million viewers

Top 10 cable news programs (and the top programs of other outlets with their respective associated ranks) among adults 25-54

1. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 8/15/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.496 million adults 25-54

2. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Thu. 8/18/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.467 million adults 25-54

3. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 8/17/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.463 million adults 25-54

4. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 8:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.453 million adults 25-54

5. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 8/15/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.450 million adults 25-54

6. The Ingraham Angle (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 10:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.441 million adults 25-54

7. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 11:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.434 million adults 25-54

8. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 8/16/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.429 million adults 25-54

9. Gutfeld! (FOXNC, Wed. 8/17/2022 11:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.407 million adults 25-54

10. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 8/17/2022 5:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.406 million adults 25-54

40. Rachel Maddow Show (MSNBC, Mon. 8/15/2022 9:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.249 million adults 25-54

46. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 8/21/2022 11:21 p.m., 35 min.) 0.236 million adults 25-54

55. Situation Room (CNN, Mon. 8/15/2022 6:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.227 million adults 25-54

130. The Daily Show (CMDY, Tue. 8/16/2022 11:00 p.m., 31 min.) 0.168 million adults 25-54

164. Real Time With Bill Maher “Episode 609” (HBO, Fri. 8/19/2022 10:01 p.m., 56 min.) 0.152 million adults 25-54

171. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee “Episode 7212” (TBS, Thu. 8/18/2022 10:00 p.m., 30 min.) 0.150 million adults 25-54

187. Forensic Files II “Telltale Marks” (HLN, Sun. 8/21/2022 10:00 PM, 30 min.) 0.142 million adults 25-54

280. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1214” (CNBC, Tue. 8/16/2022 10:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.105 million adults 25-54

513. America’s Morning Headquarters (TWC, Fri. 8/19/2022 8:00 a.m., 60 min.) 0.059 million adults 25-54

547. Varney & Company (FBN, Fri. 8/19/2022 11:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.054 million adults 25-54

815. Newsnation Prime (NWSN, Sun. 8/21/2022 7:00 p.m., 60 min.) 0.027 million adults 25-54

Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research

BNM Staff