Originally published May 3, 2023 6:00 am PDT
Sean Hannity, a prominent Fox News host, experienced a significant drop in ratings on Friday, reaching an all-time low, according to a report from Showbiz 411.
With only 1.3 million total viewers, Hannity’s show has lost half of its audience in the span of three weeks.
This decline follows a steady decrease in viewership, from 1.7 million on Wednesday to 1.8 million on Thursday.
On April 13, Hannity boasted 2.7 million viewers, but since then, fans have been leaving the show in large numbers.
This decline in ratings coincides with the removal of Tucker Carlson from the network’s lineup, which has impacted the 8 pm primetime slot as well.
Hannity’s reliance on Carlson’s numbers raises questions about his own show’s performance.
Meanwhile, Newsmax, a conservative media company, has seen a significant increase in its ratings since Tucker Carlson’s exit from Fox News, as per Nielsen data, according to a report from The Post Millennial.
For example, Eric Bolling’s 8 pm show on Newsmax witnessed a substantial boost in viewership, reaching 510,000 on Wednesday night, a considerable jump from 168,000 the week prior.
Similarly, on Tuesday, Bolling’s show attracted 562,000 viewers, up from 122,000 the previous week.
Newsmax’s chief executive, Christopher Ruddy, shared his perspective on the situation with the New York Times.
He explained that Fox News has shifted towards adopting a more establishment stance, distancing itself from the populist MAGA messaging that Carlson often echoed.
Ruddy aims to “embrace all sides of the Republican Party” with Newsmax.
Highlighting the impressive viewership, Newsmax pointed out that it is “available in 24 million fewer cable homes than Fox,” making its recent success even more noteworthy.
Nielsen data reveals that Newsmax drew approximately 57% of Fox’s audience on a proportional basis for the 8 pm slot on Wednesday, The Post Millennial notes.
The rise in Newsmax’s ratings and the decline in Fox News’ ratings, particularly Sean Hannity’s show, may signal a change in viewer preferences within the conservative media landscape.
