The Spring 2025 overhaul of MSNBC's primetime and weekend lineup has so far shown disappointing initial ratings. According to Nielsen data, the network experienced significant viewership declines across key programs and demographics:
Primetime Performance: MSNBC's primetime lineup, which includes new shows like The Briefing with Jen Psaki and The Weeknight, saw a 27% drop in total viewers and a 30% decline in the 25-54 demographic in May 2025 compared to earlier in the year. Specifically, The Briefing with Jen Psaki, which replaced The Rachel Maddow Show in the 9 p.m. slot Tuesday through Friday, averaged 971,000 total viewers from its May 6 debut through May 28, a 47% drop from the 1.89 million viewers Rachel Maddow and Alex Wagner averaged in the same slot.
In the 25-54 demographic, Psaki’s show drew 78,000 viewers, down 52% from the 161,000 viewers Maddow and Wagner attracted. On its premiere night, Psaki’s show lost 53% of the 18-49 demographic within 24 hours, dropping from 113,000 to 37,000 viewers, and was outperformed by reruns of shows like Friends and Paw Patrol in the key demo.
In the 25-54 demographic, it drew 72,000 viewers, a 20% drop from the 90,000 viewers the slot averaged earlier in the year. Similarly, The Weekend: Primetime, hosted by Antonia Hylton, Catherine Rampell, Elise Jordan, and Ayman Mohyeldin, saw an 11% decline in total viewers and a 6% drop in the 25-54 demographic compared to its timeslot predecessor.
Weekend Morning Bright Spot: The revamped The Weekend with Jonathan Capehart, Jackie Alemany, and Eugene Daniels, airing at 7 a.m. on weekends, was a rare success, increasing total viewers by 24% and the 25-54 demographic by 29% since its May 3 launch compared to the previous programming in that slot.
Overall Network Trends: For May 2025, MSNBC’s primetime viewership averaged 1.1 million, outperforming CNN’s 481,000 but still reflecting a 41% decline in the 25-54 demographic compared to May 2024. Total day viewership was down to 545,000, a 50% drop from February 2021’s 1.4 million, with primetime at 718,000, also down significantly.
The network ranked fourth in total viewers among cable networks but dropped to 19th in the 25-54 demographic during primetime, with only 49,000 viewers in the demo for total day, trailing CNN’s 59,000.
The overhaul, led by new MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler, aimed to refresh the network’s brand and boost ratings amid a corporate spinoff from Comcast into a new entity, Versant. However, the significant drops in viewership for key primetime slots, particularly with high-profile changes like Psaki replacing Maddow, suggest audience resistance to the new lineup.
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