CNN trounced by Hallmark Channel in holiday ratings blitz, while Fox News continues viewership streak
- Recent data on TV audiences revealed that the Hallmark Channel topped CNN in cable network views during the holiday week.
- The Hallmark Channel, the cable network operated by the ubiquitous greeting cards and gifts company, racked up over 1.7 million overall viewers during primetime hours between December 16-22, according to Nielsen Media Research data obtained by Business Insider.
- CNN attracted 1.5 million during the same period.
- News anchors who are typically on during the week were on vacation and substituted with commentators and analysts.
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Recent data on TV audiences revealed that the Hallmark Channel topped CNN in cable network views during the holiday week.
The Hallmark Channel, the cable network operated by the ubiquitous greeting cards and gifts company, racked up over 1.7 million overall viewers during primetime hours between December 16-22, according to Nielsen Media Research data obtained by Business Insider. CNN attracted 1.5 million during the same period.
CNN also trailed behind its competitors, such as Fox News, which earned the top spot with over 3.1 million overall viewers during primetime hours of the same week. ESPN placed second with 2.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC's 1.8 million viewers.
The holiday season was expected to be a boon for Hallmark and its spinoff network, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, which produced over 100 movies in 2019 - nearly half of which are related to the Christmas season, according to The New Yorker. The network airs its holiday content starting in October, and will run them until January.
News shows during the holiday week differed from the original scheduled lineup. News anchors who are typically on during the week were on vacation and substituted with commentators and analysts.
Fox News' primetime shows, including "Tucker Carlson Tonight" and "The Ingraham Angle," delivered their highest-viewed week in the key 25-54 age demographic. Despite a push for original content by CNN, including its Democratic presidential primary debate jointly hosted with The New York Times in October, Fox News continued its 50-week streak of beating its competitors in total viewership.
Fox News' performance during the holiday week marks a shift from last year, when MSNBC overtook the network in the number viewers for the first time in 17 years. MSNBC raked in 1.56 million viewers in the 25-54 age demographic between December 17-21 in 2018, followed by Fox News' 1.54 million viewers.