TV Ratings: NY Eve Tanked for CNN

About 32 million people, on average, were watching live on ABC, CBS and CNN as the clock struck midnight to welcome 2025. According to data from Nielsen Media Research, ABC was as usual the most-watched network for the ball drop, with Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora hosting from Times Square, followed by a CBS special hosted in Nashville by Rachel Smith and Kith Urban, followed by CNN’s annual event with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.

CNN began 2025 with its worst ratings for the network’s New Year’s Eve coverage in five years. 

According to Nielsen Media Research:

• On December 31st, CNN delivered its lowest-rated New Year’s Eve 11 PM/ET hour since 2019. The network posted year-over-year declines of 20% with viewers and 22% with the 25-54 demo.
• In the same timeslot, FOX News Channel recorded an increase of 11% with viewers and 50% with the 25-54 demo year-over-year. 

Notably, FNC’s The Five (5 PM/ET) was the most-watched cable news program of the day with 2.3 million viewers while CNN’s “New Years Eve Live” (8:30 PM-12:30 AM/ET) drew only 1.88 million viewers.

The Washington Examiner reports CNN’s fourth-quarter viewership also saw a 52% drop in its key prime-time demographic, with an average of 75,000 viewers. Meanwhile, MSNBC saw a 61% decline at 54,000 viewers in the key 25- to 54-year-old demographic. 

Ratings Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

Fox News notched the top viewership spot among cable networks in the fourth quarter of 2024, recording double-digit gains in its prime-time and total day viewers compared to the year prior, making it cable’s most-watched network for nine years straight. Additionally, Fox’s The Five drew the highest cable news audience of New Year’s Eve day, with 2.3 million viewers.