CNN and MSNBC were dealt an embarrassing blow Saturday night as NewsNation outperformed both in the 25-54 age demographic during prime time, according to Nielsen Media Research.

NewsNation’s surprising ‘win’ came on a night of heightened viewership driven by breaking coverage of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk . The nonpartisan news network, which rebranded from WGN America in March 2021, has positioned itself as an alternative in a cable news landscape historically dominated by legacy players like CNN and MSNBC . At 8 p.m., NewsNation Special Report, anchored by senior national correspondent Brian Entin, attracted 44,000 viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic.

The Saturday evening ‘special report’ surprisingly surpassed CNN’s Real Time with Bill Maher at 38,000 viewers and MSNBC’s The Weekend Primetime at 32,000 – marking the first time NewsNation beat both CNN and MSNBC head-to-head in the demo during a single hour.

‘NewsNation is growing its younger audience which tells us that the next generation of viewers is adopting NewsNation as their news of choice,’ Sean Compton, President of Nexstar Networks, NewsNation’s parent company, told Forbes. ‘We have stayed true to our mission of news with no agenda and it’s paying off.’ However, NewsNation trailed its rivals in total audience at 8 p.m., averaging just 170,000 total viewers compared to MSNBC’s 384,000 and CNN’s 548,000.

NewsNation’s prime time show, which featured a special on the killing of Charlie Kirk, saw a 300 percent increase over NewsNation’s year-to-date average in that time slot. The prime time broadcast included confirmation that the conservative activist was not wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of his assassination. ‘The Killing of Charlie Kirk’ special also included a report suggesting that facial recognition software had flagged the suspect in the killing to the FBI prior to the incident.

But, NewsNation’s 8 p.m.victory wasn’t the only win of the night, as the nonpartisan cable news network also posted wins in other time slots. At 7 p.m., NewsNation Prime with Natasha Zouves delivered 34,000 demo viewers, ahead of CNN Newsroom at 29,000. And at 11 p.m., NewsNation Special Report drew 29,000 viewers in the demo, beating MSNBC’s 11th Hour with Stephanie Ruhle, which re-aired a taped episode and delivered just 18,000 viewers. However, Fox News remained the most-watched network overall on Saturday night across both total viewers and the key demo. But, NewsNation’s gains are still noteworthy given the news company’s relative youth and limited distribution compared to its competitors. The network, which only adopted a full 24/7 news schedule in 2024, has seen consistent growth. In August, NewsNation and Fox News were the only two major cable news outlets to grow their audiences compared to the same period in 2024, Forbes reported.

NewsNation’s total day audience increased by 14 percent, while CNN and MSNBC suffered steep declines at 46 percent and 51 percent, respectively. With an average total day viewership of 50,000, NewsNation still trails Newsmax with 137,000, CNN with 333,000, MSNBC with 502,000, and Fox News at 1.448 million, according to Forbes. But it has now posted eight consecutive months of double-digit growth, establishing itself as the fastest-growing cable news network. Compton said the continued ratings momentum ‘reaffirms our commitment to delivering unbiased news coverage, a mission that resonates deeply with our viewers, fostering their trust in the brand, and strengthening their loyalty to NewsNation.’

Meanwhile, CNN and MSNBC continue to face broader institutional challenges. MSNBC is set to be spun off by Comcast and rebranded as My Source News Opinion World (MS NOW) later this year, ending the use of its iconic peacock logo. The network also drew criticism last week after it dismissed political analyst Matthew Dowd, who suggested Kirk was responsible for his own death. 

CNN however, is still grappling with fallout from a January defamation verdict that resulted in a multimillion-dollar judgment. A jury found the network falsely portrayed a Navy veteran involved in evacuating Afghan allies during the U.S. withdrawal as an ‘illegal profiteer,’ awarding the plaintiff $5 million in damages plus an undisclosed amount in punitive compensation.