Jen Psaki’s Ratings Challenge as MSNBC’s More Frequent 9 PM Host

Jen Psaki’s Ratings Challenge as MSNBC’s More Frequent 9 PM Host

Jen Psaki, the former press secretary for President Joe Biden, is two months into her new role at MSNBC, and the results have been a mixed bag. Her program, “The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” has attracted attention, but it struggles to compete with the previous ratings champions in the coveted 9 PM ET slot.

Transitioning to a New Role

When MSNBC announced its programming changes earlier this year, Psaki was positioned to take over the coveted 9 PM ET timeslot, airing Tuesday through Friday. This move came as MSNBC’s flagship program, “The Rachel Maddow Show,” shifted to airing only on Mondays. Maddow had briefly returned to a full schedule during the first 100 days of President Biden’s administration but opted for a lighter schedule this year.

Initial Viewership Numbers

Since its premiere on May 6, “The Briefing” has averaged approximately 1.1 million total viewers. This figure represents a substantial decline from the 1.8 million viewers that Maddow and guest hosts like Alex Wagner attracted during a similar period last year. In fact, Psaki’s current viewership constitutes a staggering 44% drop compared to prior hosts.

Comparative Ratings with Previous Hosts

While Psaki was not expected to replicate Maddow’s immediate success, comparisons to Alex Wagner reveal a continued ratings struggle. Wagner’s show had a higher average viewership of 1.2 million during the same timeframe last year, reflecting a 17% advantage over Psaki’s current numbers.

Performance in Key Demographics

Notably, Psaki’s program has also seen a decline in the important 25-54 age demographic, which advertisers often seek. “The Briefing” has only attracted around 90,000 viewers from this critical group. In comparison, Wagner’s program attracted 123,000 demo viewers. Moreover, the competitive landscape grows even tougher when considering that the Fox News Channel’s “Hannity” draws in an impressive average of 2.9 million viewers.

Psaki vs. CNN and Fox News

Despite her challenges, Psaki has managed to outperform CNN’s 9 PM offering, “The Source with Kaitlan Collins,” which has averaged only 543,000 viewers. However, in the demographic metrics, she is still trailing Collins, who has garnered 108,000 demo viewers, further complicating her ratings scenario.

Fox News continues to dominate the younger demographic as well, with “Hannity” attracting 344,000 viewers in the 25-54 range, compared to Psaki’s figures.

Positive Developments for Psaki

Despite these hurdles, MSNBC insiders highlight Psaki’s potential. Notably, “The Briefing” has become the network’s third most-watched daily program in just two months. Furthermore, the show has shown signs of growth, achieving an average of 973,000 total viewers in May and slightly rising to over one million in June. This increase reflects an 8% uptick and a 17% improvement in the key demo.

Insights from Network Performance

Psaki’s program has successfully built upon the audience from its lead-in, “All In with Chris Hayes,” while Wagner’s show had failed to retain viewers during its airing. While overall viewership for MSNBC has fluctuated, Psaki’s gains demonstrate her appeal within the network.

Background and Future Prospects

Psaki, who served as Biden’s press secretary from January 2021 to May 2022, won acclaim for her defiance on issues concerning the White House. Her background has helped her connect with progressive audiences at MSNBC, and it was well-known that CNN sought to bring her on board as well.

Launching “The Briefing” during a challenging news cycle, which included speculation around Biden’s fitness for office due to his declining popularity, presents both challenges and opportunities for Psaki. Although questions linger about her ability to fill Maddow’s significant role, insiders remain hopeful about her potential to thrive in the prime-time landscape.

Looking Ahead

As the ratings game intensifies, challenges remain for Jen Psaki in maintaining and growing an audience in the competitive landscape of cable news. Her early months indicate that while rival programming offers stiff competition, there are signs of growth and the possibility of finding her footing in this prominent timeslot.

Viewership trends will undoubtedly continue to unfold as she fine-tunes her program and responds to audience expectations. While filling Maddow’s shoes is no small feat, Psaki’s journey is geared towards establishing her voice and perspective in a landscape dominated by opinion-led programming.

As the cable news landscape evolves, eyes will remain firmly on her performance and the choice of topics she pursues. Undoubtedly, viewers will be watching keenly to see if Jen Psaki can rise to the occasion and solidify her role in the competitive field of evening news programming.

Ratings data referenced in this report comes courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.