NewsNation had hoped that hosting a Republican primary debate could lead to an influx of new viewers and turn around the network's low ratings, but Nielsen reports that viewership actually declined since the event.
On Dec. 6, NewsNation's debate from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, drew only 1.2 million viewers, the lowest number of viewers for any cable news channel hosting a presidential primary debate in recent memory.
The network also aired the debate on CW, its sister broadcast network, bringing total viewers to just over 4 million.
The total viewership for the NewsNation GOP debate, however, represented a 47% drop from the third debate held in Miami during November.
Almost two weeks have passed since the NewsNation debate and ratings indicate the network saw significant drops in ratings compared to network averages.
During the first full week after the debate, NewsNation pulled a total day P2+ viewership of just 55,000 Monday through Friday.
That was a falloff from the 60,000 viewers average for total day in 2023, according to Nielsen.
And declines in viewership post-debate hit across all key dayparts – with ratings falling 21% in daytime and 18% in access, compared to 2023 time period averages for the same dayparts.
In the 35-64 demographic, NewsNation again saw declines, with its audience of an average of 22,000 viewers dropping to 20,000 for the post-debate week – a decline of 10%.
NewsNation did not respond to Newsmax's request for comment.
Since parent company Nexstar launched NewsNation in 2021 by transforming WGN America into a liberal-leaning news channel, the network has pinned its success to a prime-time lineup including former CNN host Chris Cuomo along with former MSNBC hosts Dan Abrams and Ashleigh Banfield.
The prime lineup has failed to deliver significant results.
In the 2023 fourth quarter host Dan Abrams has drawn 102,000 P2+ impressions for his prime 9 p.m. ET slot, making him the lowest-rated host in cable news for his time slot, according to Nielsen.
In the wake of NewsNation's debate disaster, RNC chair Ronna McDaniel took the move of relinquishing control of future Republican debates this cycle, allowing anyone to host events without her committee's approval.
McDaniel has come under criticism from conservatives and even GOP candidates for her debate efforts, which put anti-Trump and liberal media outlets like NewsNation in control of the party forums.
Trump declined to attend any of the GOP debates, adding to their viewership woes.
Marisa Herman ✉
Marisa Herman, a Newsmax senior reporter, focuses on major and investigative stories. A University of Florida graduate, she has more than a decade of experience as a reporter for newspapers, magazines, and websites.
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