TV Ratings: Jen Psaki Lost Viewers During Week One

"The Briefing with Jen Psaki" premiered on MSNBC last week, airing Tuesday through Friday at 9 p.m. ET, taking over the slot previously held by Rachel Maddow, who returned to a Monday-only schedule after covering the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term. 

TV ratings for the first week of "The Briefing," are out from Nielsen:

• Tuesday, May 6 (Debut): The premiere episode drew 1.19 million total viewers and 139,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic. It was MSNBC’s third most-watched program of the evening, behind "Deadline: White House" (4 p.m.) and "The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell," and led MSNBC in the 25-54 demo for the night.
• Wednesday, May 7: Viewership dropped significantly to 1.015 million total viewers and 65,000 in the 25-54 demo, a 53% decline in the key demo from the debut. The 18-49 demographic fell 67%, from 113,000 to 37,000 viewers. The episode was outdrawn by 38 other cable news programs in the 25-54 demo, including all Fox News shows, 13 CNN programs, and seven MSNBC shows, as well as various non-news cable offerings like "Friends" reruns and "Paw Patrol." This marked MSNBC’s lowest-rated Wednesday in the 8-11 p.m. block for both total viewers and the demo since January 8, 2025.
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  Thursday, May 8: The show saw a slight uptick, with 1.105 million total viewers, up 9% from Wednesday, though specific 25-54 demo numbers for this day were not detailed in the sources. It remained the fourth most popular show on MSNBC that day.
• Friday, May 9: Exact ratings for Friday were not fully reported in the provided sources, but posts on X and industry commentary indicated continued softening viewership, with the show failing to maintain the debut’s momentum.

Comparison to Rachel Maddow: Maddow’s final full week (ending April 29, 2025) averaged 2.066 million total viewers and 173,000 in the 25-54 demo. Psaki’s debut retained about 58% of Maddow’s total viewers and 80% of her demo, but by Wednesday, these figures dropped to 46% and 54%, respectively. Maddow’s established audience set a high bar, and Psaki’s ratings reflect the challenge of filling her slot.

MSNBC expected a transition period, and industry observers noted that cable news ratings often fluctuate early in a show’s run. Psaki’s prior success with "Inside with Jen Psaki," which was MSNBC’s top weekend show, suggests the network may give "The Briefing" time to stabilize.