4. The Digital Pivot: Why “Low Ratings” Don’t Tell the Whole Story While CNN’s television ratings are at historic lows, the company is still a financial powerhouse because of its digital reach. #1 Digital Brand: CNN remains the #1 digital news brand in the world, often seeing over 120 million unique monthly visitors in 2025. Multiplatform Strategy: The network is intentionally moving away from “linear TV” (scheduled broadcasts) toward “on-demand” content. They are prioritizing their website, mobile apps, and FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels like CNN Headlines. Summary CNN’s ratings are low because traditional cable news is dying, and CNN’s brand—which is built on “objective breaking news”—often loses out to the high-emotion, opinion-based programming found on Fox News or MSNBC. CNN is essentially a digital company that happens to own a TV channel, rather than a TV channel with a website. Would you like me to look into how CNN’s new 2026 digital-first programming differs from their traditional TV shows?
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