The ratings curve that used to peak for Fox News when Tucker Carlson’s 8 p.m. time slot came around cratered Monday night as viewers used their clickers to react to Carlson’s abrupt firing.
Fox announced Monday that Carlson was no longer with the network and that for the time being, rotating hosts will fill his spot.
With Brian Kilmeade taking the first show, viewers apparently decided they were not curious enough about what the program might hold to tune in and find out.
Fox’s 8 p.m. time slot, which attracted 3.2 million viewers the Monday before Carlson was forced to walk the plank, garnered 2.6 million yesterday, according to Mediaite. That was still good enough to take first place in the time slot.
Without Carlson to draw viewers in, Fox lost the 9 p.m. time slot to MSNBC, as Sean Hannity’s 2.5 million viewers were eclipsed by the 2.7 million who tuned in to see Rachel Maddow.
Fox won the competition for average prime-time viewers with 2.35 million against 1.97 million for MSNBC. However, MSNBC won the race for viewers in the coveted 25 to 54 age group with 247,000 viewers to Fox’s 245,000.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 8 p.m. time slot’s ratings were 21 percent lower than Carlson’s average slot the last eight Mondays.
In terms of viewers in the 25 to 54 demographic, Fox’s substitute show was 37 percent lower in the ratings than what Carlson achieved in that time.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that Newsmax seemed to be the biggest gainer from Fox’s loss.
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The network’s 8 p.m. offering, “Eric Bolling The Balance,” attracted 531,000 viewers, while its 9 p.m. show, “Greg Kelly Reports,” attracted 540,000.
That was roughly three times the averages for those shows. Bolling’s show averaged 145,000 viewers during the first quarter of the year and Kelly averaged 141,000.
Fox is suffering in more than just the ratings department following Carlson’s departure.
After the announcement of his ouster, the company’s stock price tumbled 5.4 percent.
Neither Fox News nor Carlson has offered any details as to why Carlson was fired.
Carlson has not said what he plans to do now, although he has been offered jobs at The Heritage Foundation and Blaze Media.
