Legacy news outlets saw their ratings crash in 2021 compared with 2020’s numbers, partially fueled by an overall lack of interest in news.
Cable news networks were the main form of evening entertainment for millions of Americans last year. In 2021, weekday prime-time viewership dropped 38 percent at CNN, 34 percent at Fox News Channel, and 25 percent at MSNBC, according to the Nielsen company, which provides ratings for networks.
