Jen Psaki’s New Show Has Been an Immense Flop, Even by MSNBC’s Standards
The text discusses the performance of MSNBC’s revamped primetime lineup, notably focusing on Jen Psaki’s new show, “The Briefing with Jen Psaki.” Since its launch, the program has seen a significant drop in viewership, averaging only 971,000 viewers, which is a 47% decrease compared to the ratings garnered by former hosts Rachel Maddow and Alex Wagner. This decline is part of a broader trend,as MSNBC’s overall ratings have fallen,while Fox News has experienced a rise of 23% in the same period. The network’s struggles are also reflected in other shows on its lineup,which have similarly lost viewership,especially in the crucial 25-54 demographic that is sought after by advertisers. The reshuffling of the lineup appears to have alienated a portion of MSNBC’s core audience, as the departures of established hosts like Maddow and Joy Reid are notable.
In the world of cable news, there’s Fox News’ standards, and then there’s everyone else’s.
That’s not bombast or hyperbole. It’s a simple look at the numbers.
Fox News’ modern stretch of ratings dominance has seen the network beat out MSNBC and CNN — both combined, and among Democrats — on a regular basis.
Given all that, even by MSNBC’s standards, it appears former President Joe Biden’s White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s new show is falling woefully short of them.
(This particularly stings because Psaki had sort of been positioned as the new face of the network over pundit Rachel Maddow, who’s largely been de-emphasized from MSNBC programming.)
In a blistering Fox News report, it was revealed that MSNBC’s grand re-shuffle of its primetime lineup has drawn sub-optimal results in its first month, with few ratings dips more noticeable than Psaki’s.
“The Briefing with Jen Psaki,” the pundit’s re-branded show, averaged 971,000 viewers from its May 6 debut through the 28th, while airing at 9 p.m. ET.
That sub-million figure accounts for a whopping 47 percent drop in the audience that Maddow and host Alex Wagner drew in a similar time slot before the MSNBC lineup shake-up.
The network has found little solace elsewhere in the lineup.
The ensemble show that replaced Joy Reid’s time slot saw a 12 percent drop, while another new weekend show saw an 11 percent drop compared to the time slot’s previous occupant.
All three aforementioned shows also shed viewers in the critical 25-54 demographic, a category that’s particularly chased after by advertisers.
In fact, for the month, MSNBC lost out on the key demographic to CNN, which isn’t exactly thriving at the moment, either.
Notably, as TV Insider reported, Fox News ratings rose 23 percent overall, while MSNBC’s and CNN’s both fell 24 percent and 18 percent, respectively, in May.
MSNBC was always facing an uphill struggle with its revamped lineup, given the tepid start the new programming bloc had in early May.
Early reports on those returns indicated that swathes of viewers had seemingly left, alongside network stalwarts like Reid and Maddow.
For as controversial as both those women can often be, they clearly commanded a notable portion of MSNBC’s core audience.
It’s also not just MSNBC’s prime-time lineup that’s languishing.
One of the network’s early morning stalwarts, “Morning Joe,” hosted by husband-and-wife duo Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, has also taken a ratings hit, suffering alongside its ailing peers.
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