CNN has been navigating turbulent waters as its primetime viewership has dramatically dwindled. Recent Nielsen figures reveal that the network’s audience has shrunk by nearly two-thirds over the past decade, plummeting from approximately 1.3 million viewers in 2016 to a mere 553,000 today. This steep decline has sparked speculation about a potential sale of the network, but CNN’s parent company has firmly denied such rumors. Despite the grim statistics, there has been a slight uptick from January’s numbers, when prominent anchors like Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper, Erin Burnett, and Kaitlan Collins drew only 488,000 viewers.

The daytime programming at CNN is facing similar challenges. Hosts such as Wolf Blitzer have struggled to engage audiences, resulting in a drop from 752,000 viewers to 433,000. Network executives have expressed concern, acknowledging the broader industry trends impacting traditional television. However, a CNN insider attributes these losses to the shifting habits of news consumption. “The reality is that people just consume news differently now than they did 10 years ago, and we’re adapting to address that, reaching large audiences all over the world,” the source stated. Yet, this explanation has not convinced everyone, as a competitor pointed out.

“While linear ratings are mostly in decline, there are still a few bright spots in the industry where that is not the case. That said, if streaming numbers are not picking up the slack, I’d be worried,” the executive commented. In a bid to adapt, CNN introduced All Access in October, offering a fresh way to stream the network’s content. This effort comes nearly four years after the disappointing collapse of CNN+. Early in 2025, the network underwent a round of layoffs to facilitate its shift towards digital platforms. CEO Mark Thompson praised the digital strategy to The New York Times following the dismissal of over 200 employees from CNN’s formerly essential TV division in January of last year.

‘You can use your thumb to flick from a CNN news story to a CNN anchor to a reporter,’ he said of a then-planned shift to vertical videos, which has since slowly been implemented over the course of a year. The long-in-the-works restructuring plan followed a failed leadership stint from then-CEO Christ Licht, which lasted barely a year. Licht, an old showrunner for Stephen Colbert, replaced longtime lead Jeff Zucker. The latter masterminded the network’s shift to more opinionated content in the 2010s, right around the time of Donald Trump’s first presidency. Trump’s rise ramped up interest in previously languishing cable channels, CNN included.

The network went from 711,000 primetime viewers in 2015 to 1.3 million the following year. The spike continued until 2017, led by anti-Trump anchors like Jim Acosta, Don Lemon, and Brianna Keilar. Several CEOs and lineup changes later, CNN’s lack of success during Trump’s second presidency is noticeable, sources said. ‘It’s not surprising that CNN’s constant leadership void, which has largely rendered the cable network irrelevant with historic ratings declines, is leading ownership to explore yet another sale.’ ‘Ownership at CNN is once again looking to jump ship just like network’s viewers have for the last decade after seeing its 2025 ratings slump to historic lows’

‘Mark Thompson should have stayed in retirement as nothing can right the sinking ship that is CNN’. The Daily Mail has approached CNN for comment. The network’s website still attracts 120 million monthly users. As of writing, Netflix has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Warner Bros Discovery minus its cable assets, in which case CNN will be cast off to a completely separate publicly traded company. Paramount – the owner of CBS – has placed an offer as well. The company ramped up a hostile bid this week in hopes of preventing the Netflix transaction.