CNN overtakes Fox News in post-election average viewing figures after Donald Trump’s defeat

Donald Trump has been increasingly critical of Fox News in the wake of his election defeat

Credit:  BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

CNN overtook Fox News in its average viewership in the month after the US election in the latest sign that Donald Trump’s once favourite cable news outfit has taken a hit.

CNN, the cable news channel which has been a persistent target of the US president’s ire, averaged 1.73 million viewers between November 4 and last Sunday.

That figure, released by the company Nielsen, beat the Fox News Channel which had an average viewership of 1.56 million. MSNBC, a left-leaning cable news channel, got 1.53 million.

It is the first time CNN has outperformed Fox News on the metric for a month since the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001, according to the Associated Press.

CNN this weekend took out adverts championing its boost in viewership in the aftermath of the US election, which took place on November 3.

“Since the day after the election, there has been a clear winner,” the adverts said, jokingly referencing Mr Trump’s refusal to concede the election to Democrat Joe Biden, the victor.

The drop in popularity of Fox News in part reflects the recent phenomenon that channels aligned with one particular political ‘side’ in America see a fall in viewers after a perceived ‘defeat’, in this instance Mr Trump’s election loss.

However it also could reflect the US president’s outright criticism of Fox over its election night coverage and refusal to back-up his baseless claims that victory was “stolen” from him by mass voter fraud.

Mr Trump is reportedly considering launching his own media operation once he leaves the White House in January, rivalling Fox by covering news from the Right of the US political spectrum.

The president has repeatedly praised the performance of two channels which are rivalling Fox, Newsmax and One America News Network.

As the president turns to life after the Oval Office he could have a major influence on which of the three channels prospers given his vast support base.

Despite losing the US election Mr Trump increased the number of votes he received between the 2016 and 2020 elections by more than 10 million.

It was a reminder that the president continues to hold sway over Republican supporters, many of whom have in recent years watched Fox News according to polls.