Big Convention Viewership Increases For Cable News Operations
For the top 3 Cable News networks, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC, the ratings for the first night of the 2008 Democratic Convention were substantially higher than the first night in 2004, with prime-time viewership up as much as 88% and adults 25-54 viewership up as much as 127%.
As is typical with big news events, CNN won the prime-time battle with an average of 3.7 million viewers and 1.36 million adults 25-54. Those numbers are comparable with the broadcast network results from 10-11pm last night. They were likely aided by their more Democratic leaning viewership as well. Fox News was second in viewership averaging 3.0 million, but was edged by MSNBC for second in adults 25-54 with an average of 847,000.
I’ll go back and look at our ratings data for past party conventions and see if there is any correlation between convention viewership and voting patterns (although my guess is that the level of data we have is inconclusive), but the Democrats are likely very pleased.
August 26th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
not surprisingly probably but the broadcast nets were down about a million viewers or ~8% from the first night of 2004 coverage.
August 26th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
At 8PM O'Reilly on Fox gets 3,296,000 viewers MSNBC gets 2,039,000 viewers during the Democratic convention. That is a total embarrassment for MSNBC, which is totally in the tank for the Democrats.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I agree with Moderate. Embarassing in more ways then one for MSNBC..and they deserve what they get…hats off to CNN numbers…
August 27th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Moderate, Joe,
CNN is prone to viewership “surges” for big news events. People who rarely watch cable news tune to them when something big happens that's covered by everybody (as opposed to something like a debate/interview carried on only one network).
MSNBC viewership just doesn't behave that way. They have a solid block of, presumably, left leaning viewers that turns out for them, but doesn't have that surge capability.
Fox News is more like MSNBC in that regard except their base block of right leaning viewers is larger than MSNBC's base.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Fix your table title. It's called the DEMOCRATIC National Convention.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:32 am
greggp, correct you are sir! But I cannot claim that particular table. Unlike almost all the other graphics/tables on our site, that one came from elsewhere.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
ORielly said last night that his show won the 8pm Eastern. You don't have your regular nightly breakdown. Any numbers to back that up.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Joe, we will have those numbers ~3pm PDT
August 27th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I was asking about Monday
August 27th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Ah, it appears Bill posted this information instead of the normal information we receive, but it also appears that we did not receive the information for Monday that we typically receive. Sorry…
August 27th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
OK Bill, that's fair. So where did it come from? I'll be glad to tell whoever it is to do it.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
At 8PM O'Reilly on Fox gets 3,296,000 viewers MSNBC gets 2,039,000 viewers CNN gets 2,292,000 viewers.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ratings/the...
August 27th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
very well put bill, especially the last part about the larger fan base of right leaning viewers at fnc.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
msnbc had the biggest growth in total viewers for total day and primetime.
2nd most in primetime for the demo, and the most in total day for the demo.
awesome!
August 28th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
My question about these ratings are do they reflect an entire night? I ask this because on a typical night I find myself tuning into fox for about 5-10 minutes and then tuning to CNN for the rest of the night. I wonder if I am alone in doing this. I typically turn to fox to get the Republican side and to msnbc for the democrat and then to CNN for the rest of the night. Caan you answer tat question and comment.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
My question about these ratings are do they reflect an entire night? I ask this because on a typical night I find myself tuning into fox for about 5-10 minutes and then tuning to CNN for the rest of the night. I wonder if I am alone in doing this. I typically turn to fox to get the Republican side and to msnbc for the democrat and then to CNN for the rest of the night. Caan you answer tat question and comment.
August 28th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Frank, they reflect the average number of viewers watching during the entire time period specified.
For the graphic above there are two time periods: total day (defined as 6a-3a) and prime-time (8p-11p).
It is correct to say, for example, that on average 3.7 million people were watching CNN during the period from 8-11p Monday night.