Fox News Hits Record-High Viewership Amid MSNBC Shake-up
MSNBC recently revealed a major shake-up in its programming lineup, replacing Joy Reid’s “The ReidOut” with “The Weekend” hosts Michael Steele, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Alicia Menendez. MSNBC star Rachel Maddow originally condemned Reid’s departure for fear of discrimination, but was criticized online for failing to acknowledge that Steele, Sanders-Townsend, and Menendez are non-white talents. Maddow will continue her reduced schedule of hosting one show per week.
While MSNBC has struggled, Fox News Channel has achieved record-breaking viewership in early 2025. The network averaged nearly two million daily viewers in January and February, far surpassing competitors.
Fox News’ primetime lineup, including “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Hannity,” and “Gutfeld!,” averaged 3.1 million viewers, outperforming MSNBC and CNN combined.
MSNBC’s restructuring aims to enhance the outlet’s Washington bureau and expand its domestic and international correspondent teams. The changes come as MSNBC prepares for a corporate spinoff from NBC News under Comcast.
Fox News led the key 25-54 demographic, averaging over 250,000 daily viewers. “Jesse Watters Primetime” topped the demographic with 518,000 viewers, while weekend shows like “The Big Weekend Show” and “Sunday Morning Futures” also performed strongly.
The shakeup has drawn criticism from some staff. Those pushing back have cited the cancellation of shows hosted by the network’s first Black woman and Asian-American primetime hosts.
