For decades, Americans had two choices for news, Fox News Channel and then all the other liberal-slanted networks, cable news stations, newspapers, and websites.
In recent years, other options have started popping up and gaining large viewership numbers.
But now Fox News should be taking notes from how one of these alternatives is handling Trump rallies.
To Trump or not to Trump
There is an internal conflict going on at Fox News Channel.
Does the channel want to support Donald Trump, or go with a less controversial figurehead to champion?
The answer seems to still be very much in the air, many signs point to FNC looking to Trump-alternatives.
However, the ratings from this past weekend are in, and they may have Fox executives reconsidering.
Former President Donald Trump held a rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania over Labor Day weekend.
Fox News decided to run their traditional weekend line up.
Whereas Newsmax decided to air the 45th President of the United State’s rally live.
Trump held the rally to aid the campaigns of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and Governor candidate Doug Mastriano – both of whom spoke at the rally.
MAGA Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also made the trip up to the Keystone State to make the case why Oz and Mastriano are best for Pennsylvanians.
But the main event was from former President Trump.
It was truly a newsworthy event – and Newsmax is reaping the rewards from the decision to run it live and in full.
Trump = ratings
“Newsmax was the third most watched cable network during the Trump rally speech,” Reported Newsmax’s owner Jack Gournell. “With an audience so large it even surpassed the combined ratings of CNN and MSNBC, pulling in more than 21% of both networks.”
But the real prize for Newsmax and Trump, is beating Fox.
According to Gournell, more than 1.03 million viewers tuned in to watch Trump’s speech on Newsmax.
Newsmax is carried in 20-million fewer homes than Fox News, making the feat all the more impressive.
Nielsen reported Newsmax had a total audience of 1.9 million viewers for their complete coverage of the Trump rally.
Add to that estimates of an additional 1.2 million viewers on Newsmax apps and streaming platforms like Samsung+ and Roku – and that equals more than 3 million people tuning in to watch a Trump rally live.
There are two big lessons to be learned from these numbers.
The first is a lesson for Fox News Channel – and that lesson is, Trump equals ratings, so think long and hard before backing another horse.
And the second lesson is for the former President.
Trump has long been rumored to be mulling the launch of his own news media empire.
If live coverage of one of his rallies can beat Fox News – not to mention CNN and MSNBC combined – Trump has to seriously consider his chances of being the number one name in all of news.
