ATLANTA – In early 2026, CNN is dealing with sharp audience drops that point to a deeper shift in how Americans follow the news. The network once led cable TV, helped by nonstop political coverage during Donald Trump’s first presidency.
Since then, however, its audience has shrunk. In 2025, CNN averaged 573,000 total viewers in primetime, down from 1 million in 2017. Total day viewing slipped to 432,000, a 44% decline over the same stretch. In other words, CNN lost more than 40% of its audience from the first Trump term to the second, even while politics stayed intense.
- Primetime viewers fell 45% from 2017 to 2025.
- Total day viewers dropped 44% in that same period.
- Compared with 2015, primetime slid from 711,000 to 573,000.
January 2026 brought a small lift. Primetime rose to 660,000 viewers, up 26% from January 2025. Still, that bounce looks limited next to years of decline.
CNN’s drop also fits a wider pattern. Its left-leaning competitor, now called MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), posted double-digit declines in 2025 as well. Fox News stayed on top, often drawing more than 2 million primetime viewers, although it also saw weakness in key demographics.
What’s happening at CNN is not a one-off. Cable news as a category faces pressure from cord-cutting, streaming growth, and changing habits. In 2025, many cable channels lost large chunks of their audiences, and some smaller networks fell by as much as 78%. During parts of 2025, streaming also moved ahead of broadcast and cable combined, which signals a broad move away from scheduled TV.
Why Cable News Viewers Keep Leaving
Several trends explain why cable news keeps losing ground:
- Faster cord-cutting: Fewer homes keep a traditional cable package, while streaming takes more viewing time.
- Older audiences: Cable news viewers trend older. Median ages for major networks sit around 67 to 70, while younger people skip linear TV.
- More places to get news: People now use social apps, YouTube, and on-demand services, so fewer people tune in at a set time.
- Bias concerns and burnout: After major elections, many viewers feel tired of politics and distrust big outlets, so they look elsewhere.
Pew Research data from 2025 shows watching is still the top choice for news (44%). At the same time, digital options keep growing, and podcasts play a bigger role. Listening holds at 19% preference, yet it carries more weight with younger audiences.
The Podcast Surge and What It Offers That Cable Can’t
Podcasts now compete directly with cable news, especially for deeper, host-led conversations. In 2025, news podcasts hit new highs. About 27.3% of monthly podcast listeners tuned into news shows, up from earlier years. Around 15% of Americans got news from podcasts each week, which puts it near print newspapers by some measures.
Several reasons explain the rise:
- Easy to fit into daily life: People can listen while driving, exercising, or doing chores, unlike a scheduled TV block.
- More time for context: Longer episodes support detailed talk, which appeals to listeners tired of quick TV panels.
- Stronger host connection: Personalities like Joe Rogan and many independent creators build loyalty through a more casual style.
- Younger listeners: The typical podcast listener is often around 34 to 47, far younger than cable news audiences that skew 67 and up.
- Niche trust: Many listeners say independent voices feel more honest, and on the right, podcasts often outscore traditional sources on trust.
In the US, news podcasts like PBD Podcast now mix legacy reporting and analysis (for example, The Daily from The New York Times) with opinion-driven shows. Many also post videos on YouTube and clips on TikTok, which helps them reach new audiences and blur the line between audio and video. By mid-2025, Republicans made up a larger share of news podcast audiences (39%), which matches the growing demand for point-of-view content.
Independent media adds even more momentum. Substack newsletters, YouTube channels, and creator-run outlets keep pulling attention away from cable. Many people want reporting that feels less filtered, along with deeper dives and a sense of community. Surveys show 82% of independent media users treat it as their main news source and trust it for more detailed coverage.
What Comes Next for Cable New:,Change or Continued Decline
As 2026 unfolds, cable news sits in a tough spot. Forecasts suggest streaming will pass 50% of TV use, while FAST channels and creator-led programming keep rising. As a result, cable networks may merge, shift harder into online products, or shut down. Some experts expect multiple closures in 2026 as subscribers keep dropping.
CNN and other networks have already started adjusting. They are building out streaming, launching podcasts, and pushing a multi-platform strategy. CNN also pointed to strong digital reach in 2025, with millions of monthly users across apps and subscriptions. Even so, major hurdles remain, including rebuilding trust, competing with free content, and staying relevant as social feeds and AI-generated material flood the market.
On-demand news keeps gaining because it fits how people live. Podcasts and independent outlets offer portability, clear voices, and stronger engagement, while linear cable struggles to match that experience. As audiences spread out across platforms, traditional networks need to adapt quickly or keep shrinking.
This change also reflects a simple expectation: people want control over when news arrives, how it sounds, and who delivers it. CNN’s ratings drop shows the stakes, and cable news now has to connect old habits with new ones before more of the audience moves on for good.
