Weekly Cable Ratings: CNN Tops Ratings Charts

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U.S. Capitol riot, Georgia Senate election help cable news networks dominate in primetime, total day

CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia
(Image credit: John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)

CNN topped cable ratings charts during a busy news week that included the riot at the U. S. Capitol in Washington D.C. and the Georgia Senate election.

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CNN averaged 4.1 million viewers in primetime during the week of Jan. 4 to Jan. 10, according to Nielsen. MSNBC finished second with 3.7 million viewers, followed by 2020 cable ratings champion Fox News with 3.1 million watchers.

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HGTV finished fourth with 1.1 million viewers, with TNT moving into fifth place with 1 million viewers.

On a 24-hour basis, CNN topped the charts with 2.7 million viewers. MSNBC, Fox News, HGTV and Hallmark Channel rounded out the top five networks on the chart, said Nielsen. 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.