On Thursday, April 3rd, Donald Trump said it was “Liberation Day” for the American people as he imposed new tariffs on foreign imports. While the financial volatility has played havoc on the markets, it led to an immediate ratings increase for CNBC.
CNBC saw a 49% increase compared to its usual viewership increase during the day, as Donald Trump prepared to reveal the sweeping tariffs he would place on other nations.
In the Adults 25-54 demographic, the network saw a 13% increase during the “Liberation Day” ratings compared to its usual viewership.
The network topped rival Fox Business Network in both the business day and market hours sectors. That came on the heels of Fox Business besting CNBC in the first quarter in the business day, market hours, and total day ratings all at the same time for the first time since 2022.
According to figures from Nielsen, Thursday, April 3rd was the highest-rated day for CNBC since January 26th, 2022. Additionally, it was the highest number of page views for CNBC Digital since January 2022 and the best day for unique visitors since May 2021.
Since the announcement of the increased tariffs, the stock market has tumbled, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping 3.3% on April 3rd and an additional 5.5% on Friday, April 4th. To open the markets on Monday morning, the Dow was down just over 3%.
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