The once-revered Fox News is facing a devastating decline in its ratings as hungry competitors, led by the hosts on MSNBC, fly past the stagnating network. The departure of Tucker Carlson and the indictments of former President Donald Trump have left Fox News grasping at straws, unable to keep pace with the unparalleled programming of the winners, MSNBC.
In a stunning loss for the heretofore dominant Fox News, MSNBC claimed victory in the coveted primetime ratings on August 14th and 15th, marking a significant shift in the balance of power between the two media giants. MSNBC’s emphasis on coverage of Trump’s indictments struck a chord with viewers, driving the network’s ratings to unparalleled heights.
The embarrassing ratings decline for Fox News has steadily increased since Carlson’s exit. With his departure, the network lost the anchor behind the second-highest-rated show on Fox News. The hastily arranged replacement for “Tucker Carlson Tonight” failed to engage audiences, with its first episode premiering to underwhelming ratings. Fox News fell from its throne of primetime ratings dominance, after MSNBC outpaced them for an entire week in early June. MSNBC trumped Fox News, averaging 1,374,000 primetime viewers, compared to Fox News’s total of 1,314,000. MSNBC’s decisive win broke Fox News’s 120-week primetime ratings reign.
Despite regaining some ground during the second quarter and in July, Fox News was only able to do so through a desperate reshuffle of anchor schedules. The network’s viewership has still been teetering on the edge ever since Carlson’s departure, reaching a dismal nadir as viewers abandoned Fox News in droves.
With the name recognition and ratings pull of Carlson, the network was once seemingly invincible. But with the charismatic anchor gone, the Fox News crown now rests precariously atop the head of Jesse Watters. It remains to be seen whether Watters can carry Fox News forward in the struggle against MSNBC and CNN.
Fox News’s agony is poised to reach its zenith on Wednesday, with Carlson set to interview with none other than former President Trump during the same hour as the 2024 Republican presidential debate. Despite the formidable lineup of Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier moderating the debate on Fox News, the discomfiting truth remains – Fox News may be forever trapped in the shadow of its more successful rivals.
