CNN town hall with de Blasio, Bullock marks ratings low for network

CNN’s town hall featuring 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Montana Gov. Steve BullockSteve BullockStates, cities rethink tax incentives after Amazon HQ2 backlash Democrats redefine center as theirs collapses Democratic governors worried about drawn-out 2020 fight MORE and New York City Mayor Bill de BlasioBill de BlasioBloomberg compared civil libertarians, teachers union to NRA 'extremists' in 2013: report De Blasio endorses Sanders for president While Klobuchar surges, Warren flounders MORE on Sunday night registered just 402,000 total viewers, including 82,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographic, according to early Nielsen Media Research.

The Bullock-de Blasio event marked an all-time ratings low for town hall events on the network in 2019. Viewership was down 25 percent overall and 38 percent in the younger demographic compared to CNN's 2019 average for Sundays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Fox News finished first during that time slot, averaging 873,000 total viewers. MSNBC was second, with 664,000 viewers to CNN's 402,000. 

 

In the key 25-54 demographic, Fox News took in 121,000 in the category, followed by MSNBC with 84,000 and CNN with 82,000. 

De Blasio, who is struggling in the polls, averaging just 0.5 percent in the RealClearPolitics (RCP) average, appeared on Fox's "Hannity" for an extended interview on Aug. 7, which delivered 3.3. million total viewers and 546,000 in the younger demographic. 

 

Bullock is averaging just 0.7 percent in the RCP index. 

 

CNN's highest-rated town hall among the Democratic field was one featuring Sen. Kamala HarrisKamala Devi HarrisConway: Trump is 'toying with everybody' by attacking Bloomberg for stop-and-frisk comments The Hill's Campaign Report: New challenges for 2020 Dems in Nevada, South Carolina Beleaguered Biden turns to must-win South Carolina MORE (D-Calif.), which delivered nearly 1.9 million viewers back in January shortly after she announced her candidacy.