The ratings war among broadcast TV networks during the 2012 Republican and Democratic conventions was somewhat of a roller coaster, but among cable networks Fox News dominated coverage of the RNC and MSNBC had a strong showing with DNC coverage.
NBC had the strongest overall showing on Thursday, the night of President Barack Obama’s speech to Democrats in Charlotte, N.C. The network skipped the convention on Wednesday to air the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants NFL match-up.
Night three of the DNC
NBC (9-11:11pm): 7.377 viewers (3.088M in A25-54)
CNN (10-11pm): 5.562 viewers (2.201M in A25-54)
MSNBC (10-11pm): 4.547 viewers (1,776M in A25-54)
ABC (10-11:11pm): 3.995 viewers (1.524M in A25-54)
CBS (10-11:12pm): 3.294 viewers (1.383M in A25-54)
FNC (10-11pm): 2.855 viewers (808K in 25-54)
CNN’s Thursday evening surge prevented a three-night sweep of DNC coverage by MSNBC.
Cable News Primetime (8-11pm) for night three of the DNC
CNN: 4,105,216 total viewers (1,557,165 in 25-54)
MSNBC: 3,610,875 total viewers (1,289,781 in 25-54)
FNC: 2,659,051 total viewers (672,749 in 25-54)
A closer look at the numbers reveals MSNBC was able to build on its 2008 coverage, seeing a nearly 50 percent spike from the last election cycle’s Democratic convention in Denver.
For the six-day span of RNC and DNC coverage, Fox News prevailed over its broadcast and cable rivals — due to its enormous edge in RNC viewership — with the highest nightly viewership average.
| 2012 CONVENTION COVERAGE COMPARISON | ||||||
| P 2+ | P 25-54 | |||||
| Network | Period | Period | Time | Days | (000s) | (000s) |
| FOXN | Dem’12 Day 1 | 9/4/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TU | 2407 | 550 |
| FOXN | Dem’12 Day 2 | 9/5/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | WED | 3103 | 814 |
| FOXN | Dem’12 Day 3 | 9/6/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | THU | 2855 | 808 |
| FOXN | RNC DAY 1 | 8/28/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TU | 6832 | 1680 |
| FOXN | RNC DAY 2 | 8/29/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | WED | 7713 | 2071 |
| FOXN | RNC DAY3 | 8/30/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TH | 9109 | 2597 |
| Total Audience: |
|
| 32019 | 8520 | ||
| Average Audience: |
|
| 5337 | 1420 | ||
| CNN | Dem’12 Day 1 | 9/4/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | _T_____ | 3889 | 1368 |
| CNN | Dem’12 Day 2 | 9/5/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | __W____ | 4135 | 1544 |
| CNN | Dem’12 Day 3 | 9/6/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | THU | 5562 | 2201 |
| CNN | RNC DAY 1 | 8/28/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TU | 1474 | 413 |
| CNN | RNC DAY 2 | 8/29/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | WED | 1340 | 451 |
| CNN | RNC DAY3 | 8/30/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TH | 2327 | 904 |
| Total Audience: |
|
| 18727 | 6881 | ||
| Average Audience: |
|
| 3121 | 1147 | ||
| MSNB | Dem’12 Day 1 | 9/4/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | _T_____ | 4107 | 1432 |
| MSNB | Dem’12 Day 2 | 9/5/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | __W____ | 4388 | 1419 |
| MSNB | Dem’12 Day 3 | 9/6/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | THU | 4547 | 1776 |
| MSNB | RNC DAY 1 | 8/28/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TU | 1468 | 412 |
| MSNB | RNC DAY 2 | 8/29/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | WED | 1441 | 402 |
| MSNB | RNC DAY3 | 8/30/2012 | 10:00P -11:00P | TH | 1879 | 628 |
| Total Audience: |
|
| 17830 | 6069 | ||
| Average Audience: |
|
| 2972 | 1012 | ||
| P2+ | A25-54 | |||||
| Network | Period | Day | Date | Time | AA | AA |
| ABC | Dem Convention 12 | Day 1 | 9/4/2012 | 10-11:08p | 3,237 | 1,143 |
| ABC | Dem Convention 12 | Day 2 | 9/5/2012 | 10-11:29p | 4,587 | 1,729 |
| ABC | Dem Convention 12 | Day 3 | 9/6/2012 | 10-11:11p | 3,995 | 1,524 |
| ABC | RNC DAY 1 | 8/28/2012 | 10:00P -11:03P | TU | 2,863 | 920 |
| ABC | RNC DAY 2 | 8/29/2012 | 10:00P -11:07P | WED | 2,858 | 994 |
| ABC | RNC DAY3 | 8/30/2012 | 10:00P -11:15P | TH | 4,443 | 1,612 |
| Total Audience: |
|
| 21983 | 7922 | ||
| Average Audience: |
|
| 3664 | 1320 | ||
| CBS | Dem Convention 12 | Day 1 | 9/4/2012 | 10-11:07p | 3,269 | 1,057 |
| CBS | Dem Convention 12 | Day 2 | 9/5/2012 | 10-11:28p | 4,410 | 1,724 |
| CBS | Dem Convention 12 | Day 3 | 9/6/2012 | 10-11:12p | 3,294 | 1,383 |
| CBS | RNC DAY 1 | 8/28/2012 | 10:00P -11:03P | TU | 3119 | 938 |
| CBS | RNC DAY 2 | 8/29/2012 | 10:00P -11:07P | WED | 2,559 | 944 |
| CBS | RNC DAY3 | 8/30/2012 | 10:00P -11:15P | TH | 3,730 | 1,507 |
| Total Audience: |
|
| 20381 | 7553 | ||
| Average Audience: |
|
| 3397 | 1259 | ||
| NBC | Dem Convention 12 | Day 1 | 9/4/2012 | 10-11:06p | 5,022 | 1,929 |
| NBC | Dem Convention 12 | Day 2 | DID NOT AIR DUE TO FOOTBALL | |||
| NBC | Dem Convention 12 | Day 3 | 9/6/2012 | 9-11:11p | 7,377 | 3,088 |
| NBC | RNC DAY 1 | 8/28/2012 | 10:00P -11:03P | TU | 4,770 | 1,725 |
| NBC | RNC DAY 2 | 8/29/2012 | 10:00P -11:07P | WED | 4,149 | 1,493 |
| NBC | RNC DAY3 | 8/30/2012 | 10:00P -11:15P | TH | 3847 | 1464 |
| Total Audience: |
|
| 25165 | 9699 | ||
| Average Audience: |
|
| 5033 | 1940 | ||