CNN's primetime ratings exploded Monday night on the strength of two major exclusive scores — Anderson Cooper's interview with an anonymous juror in the George Zimmerman trial and Piers Morgan's interview with Rachel Jeantel, the friend of Trayvon Martin.
CNN's total primetime audience — from 8-11 p.m. ET — bumped up 77% percent from the same period last week. The network also beat Fox News in the key 25-54 age demographic — though it still trailed, significantly, in overall viewers. CNN crushed MSNBC in both categories.
During the first airing of Cooper's exclusive (8-9 p.m.), CNN's total viewers were up 50% from the week prior, and its 25-54 numbers were up an astounding 131%. In the 10 p.m. hour, a re-airing of Cooper's show, ratings exploded 79% and 105%, respectively.
Meanwhile, total ratings for Morgan's show fully doubled, and in the key 25-54 demographic they were up almost 200%. It was Morgan's best 25-54 audience for an interview (or a non-event night that includes, say, an election or debate), according to Nielsen data provided by the network.
The ratings boost was forecast by Matt Drudge, who took notice of the network's lineup Monday night:
CNN Jeff Zucker is having one of the best night's of his career. @piersmorgan hotter than temps outside; @AC360 lit up wires. Ratings win?
— MATT DRUDGE (@DRUDGE) July 16, 2013
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