Report: MS NOW Suffers Sharp Ratings Decline in 2025

Fox News posted its highest ratings ever in a non-election year in 2025, averaging 2.72 million primetime viewers—up 14% from 2024—and 287,000 in the key Adults 25-54 demographic, up 18%, according to Nielsen Media Research data released December 15.

In stark contrast, the newly rebranded MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) averaged just 923,000 primetime total viewers, down 25% year-over-year, and a mere 81,000 in the demo—a 39% plunge. CNN fared slightly better but still declined, with 580,000 total viewers (down 15%) and 105,000 in the demo (down 29%).

According to Front Page Magazine, MS NOW edged out CNN in total viewers but fell behind in the younger demographic, despite younger audiences generally leaning left.

The rebrand to MS NOW—standing for "My Source for News, Opinion and the World"—took effect November 15, 2025, as part of Comcast's spin-off of cable assets into the new company Versant. Critics mocked the name for evoking multiple sclerosis or outdated Microsoft portals, but the network insisted programming and mission would remain unchanged.

Comcast is divesting these cable properties, including MS NOW and others, into Versant—a move seen by some as a graceful exit for declining linear networks amid cord-cutting and streaming shifts. Similar pressures affect CNN, though analysts suggest MS NOW's steeper losses make its long-term viability more precarious.