Stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings mocked CNN’s low ratings during the channel’s special live coverage of New Year’s Eve.
While appearing on the long-running series “New Year’s Eve live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” Cummings joked Tuesday night about the cable news channel having a sparse audience.
“I now play shows for 3,000 people, which is about the number of viewers of CNN these days,” the comedian said during the program.
Comedian Whitney Cummings ripped into CNN’s low ratings during the channel’s New Year’s Eve broadcast. (Getty Images)
Cummings’ dig came just two hours before the ball dropped in New York City’s Times Square on Tuesday night. Softening the blow, she added, “But not this show. All eyes are on this show.”
The hosts, Bravo’s Andy Cohen and former CNN host Anderson Cooper, seemed to be following Cummings’ joke closely. “Nice, nice,” Cooper responded with a laugh, while Cohen noted, “You’re all fiery today.”
Cooper continued to play along, saying that he and Cohen had toured together with an audience similar in size to Cummings’ tour. “We liked 3,000 people,” he said.
The comic’s joke was certainly in line with the ratings-battered network. who lost a huge group of viewers after the victory of newly elected President Donald Trump.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 31: Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper host CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage in the rain at Times Square on December 31, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/WireImage) (Craig T Fruchtman / Contributor)
In the two weeks following Trump’s victory, CNN saw double-digit percentage declines across the board in key metrics, losing 33% of total viewers compared to 2024 averages, losing 39% in the demo and 36% of the already small primetime audience.
During the first week of December, CNN’s primetime lineup of “Anderson Cooper 360,” “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” and “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip” averaged just 367,000 viewers from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. By comparison, Fox News Channel averaged 2.5 viewers. million primetime viewers in the same period.
Those numbers put CNN at No. 17 among cable station primetime lineups that week. The Food Network The primetime offering had a larger audience in the same period.
Elsewhere during her CNN appearance, Cummings blasted the entertainment industry for lecturing Americans.
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Whitney Cummings (Getty Images)
When asked about her new gig for streaming service Max of a “Friends” themed trivia show, “Fast Friends,” and whether she’s a fan of the legendary ’90s sitcom, she replied, “You know what, I am a ‘Fan of Friends. I’m also a fan of entertainment that just entertains. There’s this new thing where everything in Hollywood is supposed to teach people how to vote and make you feel guilty about global warming.
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“It’s just a fun show, without any creeps. It’s just warm and wholesome,” the comic added.
