The latest off-year elections brought some surprising results, not just at the ballot box, but also in cable news viewership, with MSNBC topping the charts in primetime for a rare victory.
TL;DR: Your Quick Takeaways
- MSNBC secured a significant primetime viewership win during the recent off-year elections, surpassing Fox News and marking its best performance since Election Day 2024.
- While MSNBC led in total primetime viewers, CNN took the top spot in the crucial adults 25-54 demographic during those same evening hours.
- The shift in ratings is largely attributed to a "blue wave" of Democratic victories in key races across New Jersey, Virginia, New York, and California.
Imagine a cable news network, often seen as the underdog in the fiercely competitive ratings race, suddenly pulling ahead of its long-dominant rival on a major election night. That's exactly what happened during the recent off-year elections on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, when MSNBC celebrated a significant win in primetime viewership, shaking up the usual hierarchy of cable news.
This wasn't just a small bump; it was a substantial moment for MSNBC. The network not only drew its largest primetime audience of 2025 but also secured its most-watched day and night since Election Day 2024. Viewers, it seems, were keenly tuned in to the unfolding political drama, which saw Democrats achieve notable victories across several states. Source: The Hollywood Reporter, 'MSNBC Leads Cable News In Primetime Election Night Viewership', November 5, 2025.
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Breaking Down the Numbers: Who Watched What and When
Let's dive into the specifics, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings. During primetime—that critical 8 PM to 11 PM ET slot when many viewers are glued to their screens—MSNBC soared with an average of 3.04 million total viewers. This figure comfortably outpaced Fox News, which drew 2.85 million viewers, and CNN, which came in with 1.78 million total viewers. Source: Deadline, 'MSNBC Draws Most Network Viewers To Off-Year Election Coverage, CNN Tops Demo', November 5, 2025.
While total viewership is a big deal, the adults 25-54 demographic is often seen as key for advertisers. In this demo, CNN actually led the pack during primetime, averaging 574,000 viewers. MSNBC followed with 490,000 demo viewers, while Fox News registered 448,000. So, if you were between 25 and 54 and watching election coverage, there was a good chance you were on CNN. Source: The Hollywood Reporter, 'MSNBC Leads Cable News In Primetime Election Night Viewership', November 5, 2025.
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A Rare Primetime Triumph for the Democratic-Friendly Network
For those who follow cable news ratings, MSNBC's primetime victory over Fox News is a genuinely rare occurrence. Fox News has long dominated the primetime landscape, often leading in both total viewers and the key demographic for years. This Election Night marked the first time MSNBC topped Fox News in both total viewers and the 25-54 demo since the Democratic National Convention back on August 22, 2024.
It's an indication that the content and narrative MSNBC provided that evening deeply resonated with a significant portion of the viewing public. Jesse Rodriguez, MSNBC's Vice President, even took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce the news, stating, "RATINGS NEWS: @MSNBC was the #1 cable news network for primetime Election coverage last night among total viewers, beating FOX & CNN." He added, "Yesterday was MSNBC’s most-watched day since Election Day 2024."
"RATINGS NEWS: @MSNBC was the #1 cable news network for primetime Election coverage last night among total viewers, beating FOX & CNN. Yesterday was MSNBC’s most-watched day since Election Day 2024."
— Jesse Rodriguez, MSNBC Vice President (via X, November 5, 2025)
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Connecting the Dots: How Political Outcomes Influenced Viewing Habits
So, what spurred this shift in viewing habits? The articles strongly suggest a direct correlation between the "blue wave" of Democratic victories and MSNBC's ratings boost. On Election Night, Democrats celebrated several key wins across the country. In Virginia, former Democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger became the state's first female governor. In New Jersey, former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill triumphed over a Trump-endorsed candidate. Source: The Daily Beast, 'Even MAGA’s Favorite Network Lost Big on Election Day', November 5, 2025.
New York City also elected Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as mayor, defying pleas from the president to back his opponent. And out in California, a redistricting proposition (Prop 50) passed, which could further lean the state's congressional delegation towards Democrats. These results, which often ran counter to expectations from right-leaning media, likely encouraged viewers to tune into networks offering a more aligned perspective on the developing narrative.
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Understanding the Broader Cable News Landscape and Its Complexities
While MSNBC celebrated a primetime victory, it's crucial to look at the full picture. Fox News, despite losing the primetime battle, still demonstrated considerable strength in other metrics. For instance, Fox News led the pack in total day viewership, averaging 1.97 million viewers across the full 24 hours, exceeding MSNBC's 1.28 million and CNN's 748,000. It also led in the total day 25-54 demo with 236,000 viewers. Source: NCS, 'MSNBC leads cable news in primetime Election Night viewership', November 5, 2025.
A spokesperson for Fox News also highlighted that the channel outperformed all other cable news networks outside of the specific primetime block, particularly from 7 PM to 11 PM ET, and dominated the 8 PM hour with 3.3 million viewers. This shows that while one specific time slot might shift, overall network loyalty and viewership can remain robust. Even Fox News's chief political anchor, Bret Baier, acknowledged the results, calling election night "a big loss" and noting "some dangerous things" inside the numbers, indicating the network was aware of the impact of the Democratic wins. Source: The Daily Beast, 'Even MAGA’s Favorite Network Lost Big on Election Day', November 5, 2025.
For example, consider a viewer like Tom, who typically watches Fox News throughout the day for political updates. While he might have kept his channel there for most of Tuesday, as the Democratic wins started rolling in during the primetime hours, he might have found himself flipping over to another network, or perhaps even sticking with Fox but hearing analysts like Bret Baier acknowledge the "blue wave." This illustrates the dynamic choices viewers make in real-time, influenced by both their political leanings and the unfolding news.
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Looking Ahead: MSNBC's Rebranding and Independent Future
This ratings triumph comes at a pivotal time for MSNBC. The network is preparing for a significant rebranding, set to become "MS NOW" on November 15. This change is part of a larger corporate restructuring where Comcast will spin off its cable networks into a new company called Versant. This new entity will house MSNBC alongside channels like CNBC, USA Network, E!, Syfy, Oxygen, and Golf Channel. Source: The Hollywood Reporter, 'MSNBC Leads Cable News In Primetime Election Night Viewership', November 5, 2025.
Crucially, MSNBC has already begun to separate its editorial operations from NBC News. This Election Night marked the first time the network sent its own dedicated reporters to cover major races in states like New Jersey, Virginia, New York, California, and Minnesota, rather than relying on its former sister network. This newfound independence could play a role in shaping its content and appeal moving forward, potentially reinforcing the audience it captured during this election cycle.
Practical Takeaways for News Consumers and Networks- Stay tuned to multiple sources: Election nights can feature rapidly changing narratives; tuning into diverse outlets can provide a more comprehensive view of results and analysis.
- Primetime isn't the whole story: While primetime ratings are impactful, they don't always reflect a network's overall daily performance or digital presence.
- Political outcomes influence viewing: The results of elections can directly sway where audiences turn for their news, particularly when those results align with or challenge their expectations.
- Watch for network evolution: MSNBC's upcoming rebranding and operational independence signify a period of change that could influence its programming and editorial approach in future political coverage.
- The Hollywood Reporter, 'MSNBC Leads Cable News In Primetime Election Night Viewership', Rick Porter, November 5, 2025.
- Deadline, 'MSNBC Draws Most Network Viewers To Off-Year Election Coverage, CNN Tops Demo', Ted Johnson, November 5, 2025.
- The Hollywood Reporter, 'MSNBC Leads Cable News In Primetime Election Night Viewership', Rick Porter, November 5, 2025.
- The Daily Beast, 'Even MAGA’s Favorite Network Lost Big on Election Day', Laura Esposito, November 5, 2025.
- NCS, 'MSNBC leads cable news in primetime Election Night viewership', NCS Staff, November 5, 2025.