Major Drop in Viewership Following MSNBC’s New Primetime Lineup

MSNBC is experiencing a significant decline in viewers just weeks after launching a revamped primetime schedule aimed at reversing ongoing ratings declines.

Recent leaked ratings indicate a 41% decrease in the primetime demographic and a 34% drop across the total day viewership compared to May 2024.

This downturn coincides with the appointment of Jen Psaki as the new 9pm host, taking over from Rachel Maddow, who had hosted the time slot for years and expressed confidence in Psaki’s potential. Maddow temporarily returned to cover President Donald Trump’s first 100 days before shifting back to her Monday-only broadcast.

Ratings for Psaki’s show, The Briefing with Jen Psaki, struggled to reach 1 million viewers on May 22, significantly underperforming competitors such as Fox News’ Sean Hannity, which drew 2.3 million viewers that night. Additionally, Psaki’s show attracted only 55,000 viewers within the key 25-54 age group, compared to Hannity’s 210,000.

Meanwhile, MSNBC introduced a new panel show called The Weeknight on May 5, featuring hosts Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez, as part of ongoing programming adjustments amid declining ratings.