MSNBC’s revamped primetime and weekend programming is already faltering, with dismal ratings, sharp audience drop-offs, and a primetime collapse from one of the network’s most promoted new faces. What was meant to signal a new chapter beyond Rachel Maddow’s dominance has instead exposed serious trouble.
In a bid to reshape its identity amid changing leadership and a shifting cable news landscape, MSNBC launched several new shows: The Weekend, The Weekend: Primetime, and The Weeknight. But if the early ratings are any indication, viewers are not impressed.
Take The Weekend, for example. Debuting at 7 a.m. on Saturday with hosts Jonathan Capehart, Eugene Daniels, and Jackie Alemany, the show averaged just 433,000 total viewers and 39,000 in the key 25–54 demo. That’s a 27% and 44% drop, respectively, from the previous week. The Weekend: Primetime fared even worse in its debut at 6 p.m. Saturday night, with just 318,000 total viewers and 22,000 in the demo—a 19% and 39% nosedive compared to the prior weekend slot according to Adweek.
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