Rachel Maddow’s Return Crushed Fox News In The Ratings

Rachel Maddow’s return was the most watched show on all of cable television, as Maddow drew 3.12 million total viewers. Maddow finished more than 400,000 viewers ahead of her nearest Fox News competition.

According to a press release provided to PoliticusUSA from MSNBC:

– Last night, Rachel Maddow returned to TV and scored the #1 show across all of cable with 3.12 million total viewers. “Maddow” was the #1 show in A25-54 across all of cable news with 783,000 viewers.

– Every show on MSNBC was #1 among cable news in its hour in the coveted A25-54 demographic from 7 pm through 1 am.

– MSNBC was also #1 among total viewers during “The Rachel Maddow Show” at 9pm, “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams” at 11pm, the re-air of “Maddow” at 12am, the re-air of “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell” at 1am, and the re-air of “The 11th Hour” at 2am.

– MSNBC was #3 among all networks (cable and broadcast) during prime M-F 8-11pm, behind only NBC and CBS.

Here are the top 15 shows on all of cable in terms of total viewers last night. Check out who is #1 and #4:

Maddow is already approaching the upper levels of Bill O’Reilly’s former Fox News viewership, which is an audience that Tucker Carlson has not been able to hold at 8 PM on Fox.

The combination of our current political times and Rachel Maddow’s style have formed a viewership tidal wave that hasn’t been since Fox News took off more than a decade ago.

The Rachel Maddow Show is not only the top-rated cable news program, but it is showing the potential to be dominant. Trump may run to Fox News for comfort, but it is Rachel Maddow who is setting the primary narrative in primetime cable news.