The Trump administration’s proposal for significant hikes in import tariffs a week ago triggered turmoil within financial markets, and as a result, attracted an influx of fresh viewers to the cable networks that report on these market fluctuations.
Following President Donald Trump’s announcement of tariffs at a White House event on April 2, there were significant market drops around the world over the following days. In the U.S., the S&P 500 index dropped nearly 11% in the time since the tariff announcement; both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite have experienced similar declines.
Two sections, nevertheless, are experiencing an increase: the ones depicting viewers on CNBC and Fox Business Network. In the time following the announcement, both witnessed a surge in their viewership ratings.
During the days from Wednesday to Friday last week (April 2nd to April 4th), CNBC saw an average of 293,000 viewers during market hours (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Eastern Time). This number represents a 36% increase compared to the previous four weeks. For its entire daytime schedule, spanning from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Eastern Time, the NBCUniversal-owned network reported an average of 250,000 viewers, marking a 40% rise in viewership compared to recent weeks.
During the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Wednesday to Friday, Fox Business saw a 15% increase in viewers compared to its average in March, attracting 234,000 viewers. From the morning bell at 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Eastern Time, including its most popular show, ‘Kudlow’, Fox Business garnered an average of 251,000 viewers – marking a 22% rise compared to the previous week.
During the workweek, CNBC attracted more viewers who fall within the key news demographic of adults aged 25-54 during market hours, compared to FBN. On average, CNBC had approximately 72,000 such viewers from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., while FBN had around 17,000 during the same period.
Additionally, CNBC reports a significant increase in online traffic, with a 83% jump in pageviews from Wednesday to Friday compared to weekly average for Q1 across their website, mobile app, and Google Amp. Moreover, new subscriptions to their direct-to-consumer services saw a 34% growth when compared to the Q1 average.
On Monday and Tuesday, stock indexes displayed a decline, albeit less severe, and in reaction to the Trump administration increasing tariffs on Chinese goods, there are reports suggesting that China might restrict or prohibit American movies from being screened within their borders.
The turmoil in the financial markets is also affecting what business channels air as content. As Liz Claman from FBN explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “We thrive when we can abruptly end our shows just minutes before the hour mark. But lately, we’ve been disrupting our programs right in the middle of the broadcast.” She went on to say, “It’s like playing chess on high-performance steroids, constantly reorganizing and adjusting our content.
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2025-04-09 02:24