Versant CEO Mark Lazarus says MS NOW isn’t experiencing the audience fatigue affecting Fox News. Instead, Lazarus pointed to viewership growth for the network in October.
What We Know: Lazarus addressed the network’s audience performance during Versant’s quarterly earnings call. His comments followed FOX Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch’s remarks Monday that viewer fatigue contributed to declining Fox News ratings. However, MS NOW posted audience growth in October, according to Lazarus. That increase comes after the network experienced historic ratings lows during the previous year. October also marked its second-lowest-rated month in the past decade.
What They Said: “We’re not seeing currently not seeing any fatigue with our audiences. Our audiences are active and vibrant and growing for MS NOW, and for that matter, with CNBC. I think it’s a testament to the quality of our product, to the voices that we have on there, and to the trust that our viewers have in our brands and in our talent. But we’re showing growth, and we have for … many months in a row on MS NOW, and that’s encouraging.” -Versant CEO Mark Lazarus
What Remains Unclear: Lazarus didn’t provide specific audience figures for MS NOW’s October performance. Fox News nearly doubled MS NOW’s ratings in the month, in spite of the downturn.
What It Means: Lazarus is emphasizing audience momentum as Versant positions MS NOW as a growing news brand. Still, October’s historical context shows the network has ground to make up. While Fox News faces questions about viewer fatigue, Versant is pointing to recent growth as evidence that MS NOW isn’t experiencing the same challenge.
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