CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip Is Gaining Traction with Viewers
CNN continues to trail its cable news rivals-Fox News and MSNBC-in the primetime ratings. But some bright spots are beginning to emerge in the network's lineup, and CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip is one of the shows on the rise.
Airing at 10 p.m. ET, the roundtable show features discussions on the day's top stories. NewsNight has steadily attracted viewers in recent weeks, especially in the advertiser-coveted Adults 25-54 demo.
'NewsNight stands apart from other programs by bringing together a diverse range of perspectives each night to engage in thoughtful, and at times, intense discussions on the day's most pressing issues,' NewsNight's executive producer Eric Hall tells TVNewser.
NewsNight was the network's most-watched show in the demo twice during the week of March 10. The show had 165,000 demo viewers on March 11 and 153,000 demo viewers on March 13, according to Nielsen Media Research. It also CNN's top show in the demo between 8-11 p.m. on March 18, and tied for second in the same period on March 17.
NewsNight's March 13 edition was also CNN's second most-watched program in total viewers, with 710,000 viewers. It finished behind Erin Burnett Outfront by just 4,000 viewers and outperformed Anderson Cooper 360 (707,000 viewers at 8 p.m. ET) and The Lead with Jake Tapper (674,000 viewers between 5-7 p.m. ET),
NewsNight's most-watched newscasts in 2025 so far have been its breaking news coverage of the airplane crash over the Potomac River on Jan. 29, (1.256 million total viewers and 334,000 demo viewers) and the Philadelphia plane crash on Jan. 31 (931,000 total viewers).
Outside of breaking news coverage, the show's most-watched edition was on Feb. 28, with 853,000 total viewers. That was the day of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump's contentious meeting at the White House.
Launched in October 2023, CNN NewsNight has brought stability to a timeslot that had been in a state of flux since Don Lemon's departure from primetime in 2022.
Phillip has been with CNN since October 2017, joining the network from The Washington Post. Over the years, she has played a prominent role on CNN's Election Night coverage. In January 2021, she replaced John King as the host of Inside Politics Sunday.
NewsNight is named after the Aaron Brown show, which aired on CNN in the early to mid-2000s. In its current format, it features various panelists with diverse political backgrounds each night, offering commentary on the day's top political news.
"Rather than reinforcing echo chambers, it fosters a meaningful debate that is both engaging and eye-opening," Hall says of NewsNight's growing appeal to CNN viewers. "While consensus may not always be reached, the show ensures that every viewpoint has a place at the table."
Scott Jennings is one of the show's panelists, and his conservative takes stir intense and passionate debates on most nights, earning him regular appearances on the show. Status' Oliver Darcy recently reported that Jennings is set to receive a pay increase at the network as part of a new contract that will soon be finalized.
Other panelists who have frequently appeared on the show include former CNN anchor John Avlon, Bakari Sellers, Van Jones, Bryan Lanza, Tara Palmeri, and Jemele Hill.
Phillip was in the spotlight in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. In October, conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky made a bigoted remark to fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan during a panel discussion.
Girdusky was subsequently asked to leave the show, and Hassan opted to depart despite being asked to stay.
'I've never had to kick people off the show before,' Phillip said when asked about the incident at ADWEEK's Mediaweek event in October. 'I didn't expect the fact that it would happen last night. But it was a racist comment, and he said it to someone sitting right in front of him. It just was not appropriate.'
NewsNight's success has spurred CNN to try the panel debate format on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. ET, with Phillip hosting In its last two airings on March 8 and March 1, CNN Saturday Morning Table of Five finished second in the demo with 93,000 and 136,000 viewers, respectively.
"As a moderator, Abby approaches each discussion with both rigor and fairness. She allows difficult moments to unfold while ensuring accuracy through real-time fact-checking," Hall says of the host. "Her depth of knowledge and ability to listen, commands the respect of everyone at the table."
The network is looking for Chris Wallace's successor in that time slot, and Phillip could be that solution.
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