Welcome to our deep-dive into the audience demographics of CNN, one of the leading news networks globally.
From age groups and locations to political leanings and viewing habits, we’ll uncover intriguing patterns and shed light on who’s really tuning in.
Quick Demographic Facts About CNN’s Audience
- CNN’s average prime time audience among viewers aged 25-54 decreased by 69% from the same period the year before, with a viewership of only 126,000 in this key demographic valued by advertisers.
- In recent years, CNN’s median viewership has been higher than MSNBC’s (747,000 viewers) and lower than Fox News’ (564,000 viewers).
Check Fox news demographics here.
Age Demographics
- 43% of respondents aged 18 to 29 watched CNN in the United States as of April 2017
- In 2018, 48.14% of respondents aged 18 to 29 years stated they were CNN viewers
- CNN demographics show 37% of viewers are aged 30-49
- 26% of CNN viewers fall into the 50-64 age bracket
- The remaining 17% are aged 65 and over
These data points indicate that CNN attracts viewers from various age groups, although a significant portion of the audience appears to be younger adults (aged 18 to 29) and middle-aged individuals (aged 30-49).
The network’s reach extends to older adults as well, but to a lesser extent.
Political Demographics
- 61% of Democrat respondents watch CNN in the United States, as of April 2017.
- As of late 2019, 12% of US adults named CNN their main political news source.
- CNN’s audience witnessed a significant increase from 1.05 million in 2019 to 1.80 million in 2020, marking a 72% increase.
The data demonstrates a clear skew towards Democrat viewership and indicates that CNN’s reach expanded, especially during the year 2020. This information offers an insight into the political demographics of CNN’s audience.
Here are the demographics of Radio News listeners.
Education Level Demographics
- A significant percentage of CNN viewers hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
- Individuals with some college education or an associate’s degree also make up a considerable portion of CNN’s audience.
- A smaller percentage of CNN viewers have a high school diploma or less, but still represent a notable portion of the overall viewership.
These figures highlight that CNN’s audience is diverse when it comes to educational attainment. The network reaches a wide range of individuals, appealing to those with various educational backgrounds. CNN’s ability to cater to this diverse audience helps maintain its position as a reputable news source.
Average Income Level
- The network’s viewers have a tendency to be middle to upper-income college graduates.
It is important to note that the relationship between CNN’s viewers and the median household income in the United States is probably not directly connected.
However, these figures provide context for the potential spending power and demographic makeup of CNN’s audience.
Other Interesting Facts About CNN’s Audience
- CNN’s audience increased by 72% in 2020, going from 1.05 million viewers in 2019 to 1.80 million in 2020.
- MSNBC’s audience increased by 28% in 2020, rising from 1.3 million in 2019 to 1.6 million.
- During election week in 2020 (from November 3rd to November 9th), CNN was the most-watched network.
- More viewers tuned in to CNN for President-Elect Joe Biden’s first speech than any other network.
- CNN reaches approximately 80 million households in the United States.
- CNN Digital is the top online news destination, with more than 200 million unique visitors globally.
- CNN was founded in 1980 by Ted Turner.
- The current Chief Executive of CNN is Jeff Zucker.
- CNN has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
- CNN is a part of the WarnerMedia company.
- CNN was the first television network to offer 24-hour news coverage.
- CNN was the first U.S. news network to broadcast streaming news content online.
- CNN International reaches more than 270 million households and hotel rooms in over 200 countries.
- CNN en Español is the network’s Spanish-language service, serving viewers in the Americas and Spain.
- CNN operates several branded networks and digital platforms, including CNN Airport Network and CNN.com.
- CNN has won multiple prestigious awards, including the Peabody Award and the Emmy Award.
- CNN’s programming primarily consists of news shows, but also features documentary-style series.
- CNN debuted its news website CNN.com in 1995.
- CNN was the first news company to launch a CNN-branded network on Snapchat Discover.
- CNN has multiple branded networks and digital platforms, including CNN Money and CNN Politics.
- CNN’s first broadcast was on June 1, 1980.
- CNN has more than 40 editorial offices globally.
- CNN’s primary news shows include “CNN Newsroom”, “The Situation Room”, and “Anderson Cooper 360°”.
- The network launched its second network, CNN2 (now HLN), in 1982.
- CNN’s slogan is “The Most Trusted Name in News”.
- In 2020, CNN had the most-watched November in the network’s 40-year history.
- CNN has produced original series and films like “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” and “The Nineties”.
- CNN was the first network to launch a VR news unit in 2017.
- CNN is available to viewers on multiple platforms beyond TV, including digital and social platforms.
- CNN’s content is consumed by millions of people across its digital platforms every month.
- CNN’s 2020 digital audience totaled 174 million unique multiplatform visitors.
- CNN operates a number of regional and foreign networks around the world.
- CNN provides live-streaming video and on-demand videos on its website and apps.
- CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia, was acquired by AT&T in 2018.
- CNN has launched various regional and foreign-language networks around the world.
- CNN has hosted numerous presidential debates.
- CNN’s original series have covered a wide range of topics, from history and travel to technology and politics.
- CNN’s reporting has led to the network being banned in certain countries at times.
- CNN’s “Airport Network” is available in 58 airports in the United States.
- CNN has multiple podcasts covering politics, storytelling, and more.
It is quite evident that CNN experiences significant growth and reach, particularly during major events such as the 2020 election. Their growing audience highlights their importance in the media landscape.
Sources:
- https://www.journalism.org/2021/06/09/state-of-the-news-media-2021/
- https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/2020-ratings-cnn-averages-largest-audience-in-40-year-existence/469048/
- https://www.warnermediagroup.com/media-press/press-releases/2009/04/17/cnn-worldwide-fact-sheet
- https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/cnn-statistics-facts/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/227717/news-watchers-of-cnn-in-us-by-age/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/227717/news-watchers-of-cnn-in-us-by-age/
- https://www.womensmediacenter.com/reports/divided-2021-the-media-gender-gap
- pewresearch.org/journalism/cable-news-fact-sheet
- census.gov/data/tables/income/hibs/income-estimate/2021
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/670669/cnn-viewers-political-affiliation/
- https://www.pewresearch.org/pathways-2019/20191024/57-media-adoption/
- https://www.journalism.org/fact-sheet/cable-news/
- https://media.mit.edu/projects/media-lab-analyzing-cnn-s-audience/overview/
- https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/12/us/2020-census-data-diversity/index.html
- https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/06/15/the-state-of-the-news-media
- https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/08/us/census-race-ethnicity-across-us-cnnphotos
- Cable News Fact Sheet – Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project
- News Audience Demographics – Pew Research Center
- Demographic – National Center for Education Statistics
- https://edition.cnn.com/specials/world/cnn-international
- https://www.warnermediagroup.com/brands
- https://www.emmys.com/shows/anthony-bourdain-parts-unknown
- https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/cnn-virtual-reality-news-unit-1202008182/
- https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2020/12/01/cnn-digital-notches-most-watched-month-ever-in-november-2020/
- https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/att-time-warner-merger-approved-1202848703/
- https://www.airportnetwork.com/https://www.cnn.com/audio/podcasts

