MSNBC Woos Minutes Watched On Social

Tubular Labs' latest monthly audience ratings data found that interest in the news category spiked last month, with minutes-watched increasing far more than unique viewership. This could indicate that U.S. news audiences on social video are a more static group whose watch-time ebbs and flows based on current events: 

• Fox News and MSNBC were the only major TV news networks to gain unique U.S. viewers, up by 34% and 23% respectively in October.
• Despite the viewership fluctuations, most outlets saw a significant increase in minutes watched, attributed to extensive coverage of the Gaza conflict, early 2024 presidential election news, and U.S. Speaker of the House votes. 
• NBC News recorded a 53% month-over-month rise in U.S. minutes watched, reaching a total of 1 billion across YouTube and Facebook. Fox News and CBS News also showed growth with a 45% and 37% increase in minutes watched, respectively.
• MSNBC was fourth among broadcast and cable news outlets by unique viewers – but second by minutes watched, indicating a focus on a core audience and longer-form content.