The historic scene from New York City on Tuesday Apr. 4 of the first former U.S. President in history being arraigned on criminal charges — here, due to alleged hush money Donald Trump paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election — was covered extensively by several TV networks, including the broadcast networks which preempted their regular daytime programming.
Cable news, of course, offered blanket coverage on Apr. 4. Each outlet can tout some ratings boon from that day as well as the entire week ending Apr. 9.
Fox News led all of cable in total day and primetime among both total viewers (2.25 million total day; 4.4 million primetime) and the key 25-54 demographic (331,000 total day; 713,000 prime time) on Apr. 4, according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS, with its all-FBI lineup averaging 6.4 million viewers, was the lone network to outdraw Fox News in prime time total audience that night. (As for the other outlets, in total day: MSNBC 1.57 million total viewers, 231,000 A25-54; CNN 1.19 million total viewers, 299,000 A25-54; in prime: MSNBC 2.67 million total viewers, 348,000 A25-54; CNN 1.75 million total viewers, 487,000 A25-54)
With 6.46 million from 8-9 p.m. ET (6.7 million for its latter 45 minutes), the now-defunct Tucker Carlson Tonight achieved its biggest total viewership in three years, thanks to its broadcast of Trump’s post-arraignment speech from his Mar-a-Lago estate. In addition, for Apr. 3-7, Carlson averaged 4.035 million total viewers which marked its best weekly average since February 2022.
FNC also had several of its programs that saw their best weeks of 2023 in both viewers and A25-54, including The Story (1.961 million viewers; 258,000 A25-54), Hannity (2.951 million viewers; 388,000 A25-54) and The Ingraham Angle(2.241 million viewers; 318,000 A25-54). Jesse Watters Primetime (362,000 A25-54) delivered its best week with adults 25-54 this year.
The recently beleaguered CNN showed its might in the key 25-54 demo, leading all of cable in the afternoon. For Trump’s booking from 1-4 p.m. ET, CNN drew 613,000 A25-54 while FNC (447,000) and MSNBC (361,000) were also potent. For Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s press conference during the 4-5 p.m. ET hour, CNN (491,000) also topped FNC (440,000) and MSNBC (386,000).
For a week that also involved the expulsion of two Black legislators in Tennessee as a result of gun reform protests, MSNBC saw significant growth, compared to the year-ago week (Apr. 4-10, 2022), As indicated by the week’s network averages listed below, MSNBC is up 49 percent in total prime time viewers and up 44 percent in total day viewers; up 51 percent in prime time 25-54 and up 68 percent in the total day key demo. (Interestingly enough, despite this high-profile week, FNC (-21 percent) and CNN (-1.5 percent) were both down in total day 25-54 from the year-ago week.)
Newsmax, which normally hovers around 100,000 in total day viewers per day, posted 411,000 viewers from 2-4 p.m. on Apr. 4 for Trump’s arraignment and 862,000 viewers for his speech at 8 p.m.
NewsNation also peaked for Trump’s Mar-a-Lago speech at 8 p.m. with 225,000 viewers — a figure that’s more than twice the nascent news outlet’s normal primetime total-viewer figures.
Cable news averages for April 3-9, 2023:
Total Day (Apr. 3-9 @ 6 a.m.-5:59 a.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 1.429 million viewers; 189,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 0.950 million viewers; 124,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.586 million viewers; 133,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.116 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.111 million viewers; 10,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.106 million viewers; 26,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.101 million viewers; 28,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.101 million viewers; 17,000 adults 25-54
Prime Time (Apr. 3-8 @ 8-11 p.m.; Apr. 9 @ 7-11 p.m.)
- Fox News Channel: 2.358 million viewers; 304,000 adults 25-54
- MSNBC: 1.501 million viewers; 172,000 adults 25-54
- CNN: 0.717 million viewers; 180,000 adults 25-54
- Newsmax: 0.189 million viewers; 20,000 adults 25-54
- CNBC: 0.168 million viewers; 47,000 adults 25-54
- The Weather Channel: 0.121 million viewers; 22,000 adults 25-54
- NewsNation: 0.111 million viewers; 20,000 adults 25-54
- HLN: 0.068 million viewers; 16,000 adults 25-54
- Fox Business Network: 0.059 million viewers; 8,000 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. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 6.462 million viewers
2. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 4.178 million viewers
3. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 4.034 million viewers
4. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.687 million viewers
5. The Story (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.500 million viewers
6. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Wed. 4/5/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.375 million viewers
7. The Five (FOXNC, Wed. 4/5/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.256 million viewers
8. Tucker Carlson Tonight (FOXNC, Mon. 4/3/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.246 million viewers
9. America Reports (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 2:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.245 million viewers
10. The Five (FOXNC, Mon. 4/3/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 3.233 million viewers
16. Trump Arrest/Arraignment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.809 million viewers
17. Indictment of Donald Trump “SDNY Trump Arraignment” (MSNBC, Tue. 4/4/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 2.802 million viewers
210. Eric Bolling The Balance (NMX, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.826 million viewers
333. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 4/9/2023 11:11 PM, 34 min.) 0.482 million viewers
335. The Daily Show “Apr 6, 23 – Roy Wood Jr” (CMDY, Thu. 4/6/2023 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.480 million viewers
386. Kudlow (FBN, Tue. 4/4/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.370 million viewers
441. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1316” (CNBC, Wed. 4/5/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.295 million viewers
467. Highway Thru Hell “(1111) Get Er Done” (TWC, Sun. 4/9/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.243 million viewers
473. Forensic Files (HLN, late Fri. 4/7/2023 3:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.235 million viewers
481. Newsnation Special Report “Trump NYC Arraignment” (NWSN, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.225 million viewers
851. Tooning Out The News “Tooning Out The News-120” (CMDY, Wed. 4/5/2023 11:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.104 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, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 1.087 million adults 25-54
2. Trump Arrest/Arraignment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.657 million adults 25-54
3. Trump Arrest/Arraignment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 2:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.655 million adults 25-54
4. Hannity (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.636 million adults 25-54
5. Donald Trump Indictment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.615 million adults 25-54
6. The Five (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 5:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.561 million adults 25-54
7. Jesse Watters Primetime (FOXNC, Tue. 4/4/2023 7:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.540 million adults 25-54
8. Trump Arrest/Arraignment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 1:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.528 million adults 25-54
9. Donald Trump Indictment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.494 million adults 25-54
10. Trump Arrest/Arraignment (CNN, Tue. 4/4/2023 4:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.491 million adults 25-54
18. Katy Tur Reports “SDNY Trump Arraignment” (MSNBC, Tue. 4/4/2023 3:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.392 million adults 25-54
181. Last Week Tonight (HBO, Sun. 4/9/2023 11:11 PM, 34 min.) 0.144 million adults 25-54
218. The Daily Show “Apr 6, 23 – Roy Wood Jr” (CMDY, Thu. 4/6/2023 11:00 PM, 35 min.) 0.127 million adults 25-54
243. Eric Bolling The Balance (NMX, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.118 million adults 25-54
307. Shark Tank “Shark Tank 1316” (CNBC, Wed. 4/5/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.093 million adults 25-54
361. Forensic Files (HLN, late Thu. 4/6/2023 4:00 AM, 30 min.) 0.074 million adults 25-54
392. Storm Center (TWC, Tue. 4/4/2023 8:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.065 million adults 25-54
479. Newsnation Special Report “Trump NYC Arraignment” (NWSN, Tue. 4/4/2023 9:00 PM, 60 min.) 0.050 million adults 25-54
519. Mornings with Maria Bartiromo (FBN, Mon. 4/3/2023 7:00 AM, 60 min.) 0.044 million adults 25-54
711. Tooning Out The News “Tooning Out The News-120” (CMDY, Wed. 4/5/2023 11:30 PM, 30 min.) 0.027 million adults 25-54
Source: Live+Same Day data, Nielsen Media Research
