MS NOW Ratings reached a Q2 2026 average of 1.063 million primetime viewers and 107,000 adults 25-54 viewers, placing the network second among cable news channels in total audience behind Fox News. For the week of September 14, 2026, MS NOW averaged 914,000 primetime viewers and 81,000 demo viewers, up 33% and 47% from the week before.
MS NOW – Introduction
MS NOW Ratings have become one of the most watched numbers in American cable news since MSNBC rebranded as MS NOW on November 15, 2025. Versant, the cable company Comcast spun off in January 2026, now owns the network, and President Rebecca Kutler runs it. In every quarter and month covered here, MS NOW finished second in total viewers, far behind Fox News and well ahead of CNN.
This report collects the verified Nielsen numbers for 2026: quarterly averages, monthly results, weekly swings, Morning Joe, the weekday schedule, and the audiences for Rachel Maddow and big political nights. Every figure uses Nielsen Big Data + Panel measurement. “Demo” means adults 25-54, the group advertisers pay most to reach. Data runs through the week of September 14, 2026.
Interesting Facts About MS NOW Ratings in 2026
MS NOW PRIMETIME AVERAGE VIEWERS, 2026
Q1 2026 ###################### 1.100M
Q2 2026 ##################### 1.063M
July 2026 #################### 1.017M
Aug 2026 ################### 0.940M
Wk of Sep 14 ################## 0.914M
| Fact | Confirmed 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Q1 2026 primetime average | 1.1 million viewers |
| Q2 2026 primetime average | 1.063 million viewers |
| Q2 2026 primetime demo | 107,000 viewers |
| Q2 2026 growth vs. Q2 2025 | +5% total, +18% demo |
| August 2026 primetime average | 940,000 viewers |
| Week of Sept. 14 primetime | 914,000 viewers |
| Top MS NOW show, Q2 2026 | The Rachel Maddow Show, 2.17 million |
| Weekday lineup overhaul | June 15, 2026 |
| Fox News Q2 primetime lead | 2.493 million vs. 1.063 million |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, via Adweek TVNewser cable news reports for Q2 2026 and September 2026.
The table shows a network with a stable audience that has drifted lower through the year. Primetime viewership sat at 1.1 million in the first quarter and slid to 1.063 million in the second. The Q2 demo of 107,000 looks small, but it grew 18% over Q2 2025, while total primetime viewers grew 5%.
The later rows show the summer dip and the September rebound. August averaged 940,000 viewers, and the week of September 14 recovered to 914,000. Rachel Maddow’s 2.17 million average leads every MS NOW program. The June 15 overhaul reshaped the weekday schedule, and Fox News still holds a gap of more than 1.4 million primetime viewers.
MS NOW Ratings 2026: Quarterly Viewership for Q1 and Q2
MS NOW VIEWERS BY QUARTER
Primetime Q1 ###################### 1.100M
Primetime Q2 ##################### 1.063M
Total day Q1 ############## 691K
Total day Q2 ############# 655K
| Metric | Q1 2026 | Q2 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime total viewers | 1.1 million | 1.063 million | -4% |
| Primetime demo | 114,000 | 107,000 | -6% |
| Total day viewers | 691,000 | 655,000 | -5% |
| Total day demo | 72,000 | 67,000 | -7% |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, via Fox News Media (Q1 2026) and Adweek TVNewser (Q2 2026).
The Q2 2026 column shows a small step back from the first quarter. Primetime viewers fell 4%, from 1.1 million to 1.063 million. The primetime demo dropped 6%, from 114,000 to 107,000. Total day viewers slid 5%, from 691,000 to 655,000, and the total day demo lost 7%, going from 72,000 to 67,000. Adweek called the quarter light on news, and all three cable news networks lost audience.
The year-over-year view looks better. Against Q2 2025, primetime viewers rose 5% and the primetime demo rose 18%. Total day gained 10% in total viewers and 18% in the demo. Those gains explain why MS NOW Ratings draw attention even while the network trails Fox News by a wide margin. The audience is below its first-quarter level, yet it is larger than a year ago, and the demo is growing faster than the total.
MS NOW Ratings 2026 vs Fox News and CNN: Q2 Primetime and Total Day
Q2 2026 PRIMETIME TOTAL VIEWERS
Fox News ######################### 2.493M
MS NOW ########### 1.063M
CNN ####### 711K
| Network | Primetime Viewers | Primetime Demo | Total Day Viewers | Total Day Demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 2,493,000 | 230,000 | 1,575,000 | 149,000 |
| MS NOW | 1,063,000 | 107,000 | 655,000 | 67,000 |
| CNN | 711,000 | 120,000 | 496,000 | 75,000 |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, via Adweek TVNewser Q2 2026 cable news ratings.
Fox News owns the top of this table. Its 2.493 million primetime viewers are about 2.3 times the 1.063 million MS NOW averaged, and its 1.575 million total day viewers dwarf MS NOW’s 655,000. In the demo, Fox posted 230,000 in primetime and 149,000 in total day. MS NOW ranked third among all cable networks in total viewers and tied FX for 13th in the primetime demo.
CNN leads MS NOW in one place: the demo. CNN drew 120,000 primetime demo viewers against 107,000 for MS NOW, and 75,000 total day demo viewers against 67,000. MS NOW wins on total audience. It beat CNN’s 711,000 primetime viewers by 352,000 and CNN’s 496,000 total day viewers by 159,000. Fox was the only one of the three networks to fall year over year, down 24% in the primetime demo.
Morning Joe Ratings 2026: Viewership Gains and Time Slot
MORNING JOE GROWTH, MAY 2026
Total viewers ####### +14%
Demo ################################## +66%
| Item | 2026 Detail |
|---|---|
| Time slot | 6-9 a.m. ET weekdays since June 15, 2026 |
| Previous length | 4 hours (6-10 a.m.) |
| April 2026 | Largest audience since fall 2024 |
| May 2026 total viewers | +14% |
| May 2026 demo | +66% |
| Fox & Friends, August 2026 | 1.2 million viewers |
Source: Forbes (June 3, 2026), Mediaite citing Nielsen (May 1, 2026), and Adweek TVNewser August 2026 data.
Morning Joe now runs three hours, from 6 to 9 a.m. ET, after the show shed its fourth hour on June 15, 2026. Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist host. The show posted its largest audience since fall 2024 in April, then reported May gains of 14% in total viewers and 66% in the demo. The demo jump is the bigger story, because it shows younger viewers returning.
Fox & Friends still leads cable mornings, averaging 1.2 million viewers in August 2026. No standalone Nielsen average for Morning Joe has surfaced in public 2026 reports, so this report uses the growth figures the network released. On September 28, 2026, President Donald Trump criticized the show’s ratings online, and Scarborough answered on air that Morning Joe is the top morning cable show in Washington, D.C.
MS NOW Schedule 2026: Weekday Lineup and Time Slots (ET)
MS NOW WEEKDAY AIRTIME BY DAYPART, 2026
Morning (5-11 a.m.) ######
Daytime (11 a.m.-6 p.m.) #######
Early evening (6-8 p.m.) ##
Primetime (8-11 p.m.) ###
Late night (11 p.m.-12 a.m.) #
| Time (ET) | Program | Anchor |
|---|---|---|
| 5 a.m. | Way Too Early | Ali Vitali |
| 6-9 a.m. | Morning Joe | Scarborough, Brzezinski, Geist |
| 9-11 a.m. | Money, Power, Politics | Stephanie Ruhle |
| 11 a.m. | State of Play | Peter Alexander |
| Noon-2 p.m. | On the Line | Alicia Menendez |
| 2-4 p.m. | The Moment | Katy Tur |
| 4-6 p.m. | Deadline: White House | Nicolle Wallace |
| 6 p.m. | The Beat | Ari Melber |
| 7 p.m. | The Weeknight | Steele, Sanders-Townsend, Russert |
| 8 p.m. | All In | Chris Hayes |
| 9 p.m. | Maddow (Mon), The Briefing (Tue-Fri) | Rachel Maddow, Jen Psaki |
| 10 p.m. | The Last Word | Lawrence O’Donnell |
| 11 p.m. | The 11th Hour | Ali Velshi |
Source: MS NOW programming announcements reported by Deadline, Poynter and The Hollywood Reporter (March-June 2026).
The June 15, 2026 schedule fills 19 hours of weekday airtime, from 5 a.m. to midnight. Morning takes 6 hours, led by the three-hour Morning Joe and Ruhle’s two-hour show. Daytime takes 7 hours, and State of Play replaced the 11 a.m. hour on August 10, 2026. Wallace’s Deadline: White House anchors the late afternoon.
Primetime is where MS NOW Ratings peak. Chris Hayes opens the block at 8 p.m., and Rachel Maddow owns 9 p.m. on Mondays only. Jen Psaki’s show fills that slot Tuesday through Friday. The Last Word follows at 10 p.m., then Velshi closes the night at 11 p.m. Networks adjust lineups often, so check the current listing before you plan around a slot.
MS NOW Ratings 2026 by Month: July and August Viewership
AUGUST 2026 PRIMETIME VIEWERS
Fox News ##################### 2.127M
MS NOW ######### 940K
CNN ###### 624K
| Month | MS NOW Primetime | MS NOW Demo | MS NOW Total Day | Fox Primetime | CNN Primetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 1.017 million | 89,000 | 633,000 | 2.332 million | 658,000 |
| August 2026 | 940,000 | 84,000 | 597,000 | 2.127 million | 624,000 |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, via Adweek TVNewser monthly cable news ratings for July and August 2026.
MS NOW slipped from July to August on every measure. Primetime viewers fell from 1.017 million to 940,000, the demo fell from 89,000 to 84,000, and total day dropped from 633,000 to 597,000. The network still finished second among news channels in both dayparts, and August primetime ran 20% above August 2025 in total viewers and 17% in the demo. In July, the later rounds of the World Cup were the only major live sports rivals for news, and these FIFA World Cup viewership figures show how large that competition was.
The rivals moved too. Fox News fell 9% in primetime, from 2.332 million to 2.127 million, and sat 8% below August 2025. CNN’s primetime total slipped from 658,000 to 624,000, yet its primetime demo rose from 102,000 to 109,000, which made CNN the only network with a demo gain. Seasonal summer viewing likely explains much of the month-to-month decline across all three.
MS NOW Ratings This Week 2026: Weekly Viewership Through September 14
MS NOW PRIMETIME VIEWERS BY WEEK
Wk of Aug 3 #################### 995K
Wk of Aug 10 ################## 924K
Wk of Aug 17 ################# 851K
Wk of Sep 7 ############## 689K
Wk of Sep 14 ################## 914K
| Week Of | Total Viewers | Demo (A25-54) | Total Change | Demo Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 3 | 995,000 | 103,000 | Flat | +18% |
| Aug. 10 | 924,000 | 85,000 | -7% | -17% |
| Aug. 17 | 851,000 | 66,000 | -8% | -22% |
| Sept. 7 | 689,000 | 55,000 | -16% | -38% |
| Sept. 14 | 914,000 | 81,000 | +33% | +47% |
Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel, via Adweek TVNewser weekly cable news ratings, August-September 2026.
The weekly numbers swing hard. After a strong week of August 3 with 995,000 viewers, MS NOW fell three straight weeks in the table, bottoming at 689,000 viewers and 55,000 demo viewers in the week of September 7. That week posted the steepest drops of the year here, 16% in total viewers and 38% in the demo. The table skips the weeks of August 24 and August 31, so each change compares to the prior week, not to the previous row.
The week of September 14 reversed the slide, with 914,000 viewers and 81,000 demo viewers. Fox News averaged 1.618 million and 147,000 that week, and CNN averaged 552,000 and 88,000. Rachel Maddow’s Monday show was the most-watched program at 9 p.m. Cable holds only 20.4% of TV screen time in Nielsen’s May 2026 Gauge, so these TV ratings trends in the United States matter to every network.
MS NOW Primetime Audience 2026: Rachel Maddow and Major Political Nights
MS NOW VIEWERS BY PROGRAM OR EVENT
Maddow, April ######################## 2.400M
Maddow, Q2 ###################### 2.170M
Maddow, August #################### 1.963M
Last Word, Q2 ############## 1.380M
State of the Union ######################## 2.400M
Midterm convention ########## 1.000M
| Program or Event | Period | MS NOW Viewers |
|---|---|---|
| The Rachel Maddow Show | April 2026 | 2.4 million |
| The Rachel Maddow Show | Q2 2026 | 2.17 million |
| The Rachel Maddow Show | August 2026 | 1.963 million |
| The Last Word | Q2 2026 | 1.38 million |
| State of the Union | Feb. 24, 2026 | 2.4 million |
| Midterm convention night | Sept. 2026 | 1 million |
Source: Nielsen data via Adweek TVNewser, Axios, and Nielsen preliminary ratings released September 11, 2026.
Rachel Maddow carries the schedule. Her April average of 2.4 million viewers and 278,000 demo viewers was her largest since fall 2024. The Q2 average settled at 2.17 million and 231,000, and August logged 1.963 million and 169,000. Her Q2 audience ranked seventh among all cable news shows, and she was often the only non-Fox program in the weekly top 15. The Last Word ranked next on MS NOW, at 1.38 million in Q2.
Big political nights lift the whole network. About 2.4 million viewers watched MS NOW during the February 24 State of the Union, ahead of CNN’s 2.2 million but far behind Fox News, which drew more than 9 million. On convention night, MS NOW drew 1 million viewers against 2.5 million for Fox and 441,000 for CNN. The Republican midterm convention viewership data shows why partial coverage cost both rivals.
MS NOW Ratings 2026 FAQ
What Are the MS NOW Ratings in 2026?
MS NOW Ratings averaged 1.063 million primetime viewers and 107,000 demo viewers in Q2 2026, with 655,000 total day viewers. August primetime averaged 940,000. The week of September 14 reached 914,000 primetime viewers and 81,000 demo viewers.
Is MS NOW Ahead of CNN in 2026 Ratings?
MS NOW leads CNN in total viewers. In Q2 2026, it drew 1.063 million primetime viewers to CNN’s 711,000. CNN led the Q2 primetime demo, 120,000 to 107,000.
Does MS NOW Beat Fox News in 2026 Ratings?
No. Fox News averaged 2.493 million primetime viewers in Q2 2026, against 1.063 million for MS NOW. MS NOW grew faster year over year, though: up 5% in total viewers while Fox fell 6%.
What Is the Most-Watched Show on MS NOW in 2026?
The Rachel Maddow Show, which airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET. It averaged 2.17 million viewers and 231,000 demo viewers in Q2 2026.
What Are the Morning Joe Ratings in 2026?
Morning Joe posted its largest audience since fall 2024 in April 2026. May brought gains of 14% in total viewers and 66% in the demo. Fox & Friends still leads cable mornings with 1.2 million viewers.
What Time Does Morning Joe Air on MS NOW in 2026?
Morning Joe airs weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. ET. The show dropped its fourth hour on June 15, 2026.
Who Owns MS NOW in 2026?
Versant owns MS NOW. Comcast spun off its cable networks into Versant in January 2026.
Why Did MSNBC Change Its Name to MS NOW?
MSNBC became MS NOW on November 15, 2025, after separating from NBCUniversal. The network said the new name lets it set its own course and build its own newsgathering operation.
How Does Nielsen Measure MS NOW Ratings in 2026?
Nielsen uses Big Data + Panel measurement. Primetime covers 8 to 11 p.m. ET, and the demo covers adults 25-54.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.