Ratings Drop
CNN lost over half of its primetime audience between 2016 and 2025.
Context
CNN saw a major ratings boost during President Trump’s first campaign and early presidency. The network benefited from what the industry called a “Trump bump” as viewers tuned in for coverage of the administration. CNN’s primetime viewership climbed from 711,000 in 2015 to 1.3M in 2016, then held at around 1M through 2017.
Viewership Decline
Last week, media research company Nielsen released viewership data showing CNN’s primetime audience fell to around 573,000 in 2025, a drop of roughly 56% from 2016 levels.
