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Cable news ratings up 72% over 2019

Via Fox News

CNN, Fox News and MSNBC collectively averaged just under 10 million viewers in prime time last week — the week of the vice presidential debate — or 72% more than the same week in 2019, per the AP.

The state of play: Fox News' average of 4.42 million last week was up 63%, and MSNBC's 2.75 million was up 38% Meanwhile, CNN's 2.59 million was an eye-popping 172% increase.

Go deeper

Alayna Treene, author of Sneak Peek
Dec 10, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Newsmax tries to poach Fox bookers

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Newsmax is working to pull ahead of conservative rival Fox News, trying to lure away its vital booking agents with promises of higher salaries, two people who have been contacted by Newsmax tell me.

Why it matters: The battle to serve as the venue of choice for conservative viewers has intensified as President Trump has chastised Fox for declaring Joe Biden the election winner and Newsmax has pandered to his believers.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Caitlin Owens, author of Vitals
1 hour ago - Health

Who benefits from Biden's move to reopen ACA enrollment

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Nearly 15 million Americans who are currently uninsured are eligible for coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, and more than half of them would qualify for subsidies, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation brief.

Why it matters: President Biden is expected to announce today that he'll be reopening the marketplaces for a special enrollment period from Feb. 15 to May 15, but getting a significant number of people to sign up for coverage will likely require targeted outreach.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Sara Fischer, author of Media Trends
2 hours ago - Technology

Big Tech bolts politics

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Big Tech fed politics. Then it bled politics. Now it wants to be dead to politics. 

Why it matters: The social platforms that profited massively on politics and free speech suddenly want a way out — or at least a way to hide until the heat cools. 

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow