Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
MSNBC’s recent lineup changes have proven ineffective, showing a noteworthy decline in viewership after one month. Jen Psaki, the new host of the network’s 9 p.m. ET timeslot, has seen her audience shrink drastically, dropping to a mere fraction of what her predecessors attracted.
The former press secretary for President Biden took over this prominent slot as part of a larger programming overhaul that the network announced earlier this year. Historically, this timeslot had been occupied by “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which returned to airing only on Mondays after an introductory phase in which it resumed five nights a week during Trump’s initial 100 days in office.
Psaki debuted her show, titled “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” on May 6. However, early ratings reveal an alarming trend; her program averaged 971,000 total viewers during its initial run until May 28. This marked a significant 47% drop compared to the audience figures of Maddow and Alex Wagner at the same timeslot in 2025.
The viewership numbers are particularly dire among the advertiser-favored demographic of adults aged 25-54. Psaki garnered an average of only 78,000 in this key demographic, reflecting a substantial 52% decrease from the 161,000 viewers that Maddow and Wagner averaged in their former runs.
Shifts in MSNBC Programming
As part of the network’s strategic changes, Joy Reid’s influential program “The ReidOut” was canceled and replaced by “The Weeknight.” This new show, featuring hosts such as Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alicia Menendez, and Michael Steele, premiered on May 5 and has similarly experienced viewership challenges. “The Weeknight” averaged 776,000 total viewers until late May, revealing a 12% decline from the pre-cancellation averages of Reid’s program.
Furthermore, this new ensemble show floundered in the all-important demo, attracting only 72,000 viewers, a notable 20% drop from the 90,000 that previously tuned in during the same timeslot.
Effects of a Competitive Landscape
Another addition to MSNBC’s slate, “The Weekend: Primetime,” hosted by Antonia Hylton and others, is performing poorly, down 11% in overall viewership and 6% in the critical demo compared to past programming in that slot. The network’s sweeping changes have coincided with its second-worst performance in May, falling behind CNN in both daytime and primetime ratings.
Market Trends and Ratings Insights
In a troubling trend, MSNBC averaged only 49,000 viewers in the essential demographic for May, lagging behind CNN, which managed 59,000. During the prime viewing hours, CNN maintained an average of 76,000 demo viewers, whereas MSNBC fell short with just 73,000.
As MSNBC navigates these challenges, only one new show has outperformed its predecessor. “The Weekend,” hosted by Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels, and Jackie Alemany, has gained 24% in total viewers and 29% in the demo since it launched on May 3.
Despite these disheartening statistics, an MSNBC insider contends that the network’s struggles should not be overstated. They suggest that the political climate during Trump’s administration particularly inflated viewership numbers, creating a challenging environment for new shows to replicate past successes.
Looking Ahead for MSNBC
As the network faces these pressures, attention now turns to Comcast as it prepares to spin off NBCUniversal’s cable assets, which include MSNBC, into a new company called Versant. This transition could introduce additional uncertainty for the network’s future programming and viewer engagement.
Amid these obstacles, it remains uncertain whether Jen Psaki and other new hosts can revitalize viewership and restore network confidence. MSNBC has yet to issue a formal response to inquiries concerning the implications of its viewership decline.
Ratings data is sourced from Nielsen Media Research.
