Msnbc’s Psaki Struggles To Fill Maddow’s Lofty Shoes, Trails Cnn In Key Demo Through Two Months In New Slot

It has been a mixed container for MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, 2 months into her caller gig. 

Psaki, nan property caput for erstwhile President Joe Biden — who has insisted she ne'er witnessed signs of diminution while she worked for him — saw an accrued domiciled arsenic portion of MSNBC’s overhaul erstwhile programming changes were announced earlier this year. 

Psaki took complete MSNBC’s coveted 9 p.m. ET timeslot connected Tuesday done Fridays successful May arsenic "The Rachel Maddow Show" returned to only airing connected Mondays. Maddow had temporarily returned to airing 5 nights a week during President Donald Trump’s first 100 days successful office. 

"The Briefing pinch Jen Psaki" averaged 1.1 cardinal full viewers from its May 6 debut done July 3, losing 44% of nan 1.8 cardinal that Maddow – and a fewer January shows hosted by Alex Wagner – pulled successful astatine 9 p.m. ET connected Tuesday done Fridays passim 2025. 

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"The Briefing pinch Jen Psaki" averaged 1.1 cardinal full viewers from its May 6 debut done July 3. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images)

Psaki wasn’t expected to compete pinch Maddow, who is MSNBC’s biggest prima by a wide margin, from a ratings standpoint disconnected nan bat. However, "Alex Wagner Tonight," which aired successful nan 9 p.m. ET timeslot connected Tuesday done Fridays passim 2024, besides topped Psaki.

"Alex Wagner Tonight" averaged 1.2 cardinal full viewers from May 6 done July 3 past year, which is 17% much than Psaki’s 2025 viewership. 

Psaki besides shed "Alex Wagner Tonight" viewers among nan advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25-54, arsenic "The Briefing" has averaged only 90,000 viewers from nan captious group.

Last year, "Alex Wagner Tonight" averaged 123,000 demo viewers from May 6 done July 3. But MSNBC aired 3 primetime specials during that clip and Maddow’s beingness connected nan sheet shows importantly boosted "Alex Wagner Tonight" ratings among some full viewers and nan demo. 

Through 2 months, Psaki has drawn little than half nan assemblage of Fox News Channel’s 9 p.m. ET offering, "Hannity," which has averaged 2.9 cardinal viewers since May 6. Psaki has managed to listen timeslot title connected ratings-challenged CNN among full viewers, arsenic "The Source pinch Kaitlan Collins" has averaged a dismal 543,000 viewers since "The Briefing" debuted connected MSNBC. 

However, nan erstwhile Biden property caput is trailing CNN successful nan cardinal demo. 

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Jen Psaki wrapped up her tenure arsenic property caput and joined MSNBC successful May 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"The Source pinch Kaitlan Collins" outdrew MSNBC’s "The Briefing" by managing 108,000 demo viewers connected Tuesdays done Fridays since Psaki moved to 9 p.m. ET.

Fox News’ "Hannity" averaged 344,000 demo viewers during nan aforesaid clip period. 

Psaki besides trails cablegram news competitors among younger viewers aged 18-49, averaging 62,000 compared to 219,000 for "Hannity" and 70,000 for CNN’s "The Source."

MSNBC insiders constituent to "The Briefing" being nan network’s No. 3 most-watched regular programme contempt only being on-air for 2 months arsenic a motion that Psaki will find occurrence astatine 9 p.m. ET. 

"The Briefing" has built connected nan assemblage of its lead-in, "All successful pinch Chris Hayes," which "Alex Wagner Tonight" grounded to do successful 2024. This has occurred arsenic MSNBC has mislaid viewers overall. 

Psaki improved successful her 2nd period successful nan timeslot, arsenic "The Briefing" averaged 973,000 full viewers successful May compared to a smidge complete 1 cardinal successful June for an 8% uptick and gained 17% successful nan demo. Despite nan nonaccomplishment to CNN, "The Briefing" is MSNBC’s No. 2 programme successful nan demo, while Wagner’s show was nan network’s eighth champion successful nan captious class during nan aforesaid clip play past year. 

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Jen Psaki took complete MSNBC’s coveted 9 p.m. ET timeslot connected Tuesday done Fridays successful May. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Psaki served arsenic Biden's first property caput from January 2021 until May 2022, and her defense of nan White House made her celebrated pinch MSNBC progressives earlier she landed astatine nan network. CNN besides had discussions astir bringing her connected board. 

The motorboat of "The Briefing pinch Jen Psaki" coincided pinch a news rhythm that wasn’t peculiarly flattering for erstwhile Biden officials, arsenic anticipation for nan book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," put questions astir Biden’s fittingness for office astatine nan forefront. 

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It remains to beryllium seen if Psaki tin capable nan shoes of Maddow, but nan second surely wounded MSNBC by deciding "The Rachel Maddow Show" would only aerial connected Mondays.  

Ratings information courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.