Rachel Maddow Ratings: Beats Olbermann's "Countdown" To Be MSNBC's Top Show

The student has surpassed the master, at least for one night.

"The Rachel Maddow Show" was MSNBC's top-rated broadcast Tuesday night, unseating Keith Olbermann's "Countdown" as the network's top show.

Maddow drew 1.8 million total viewers compared to Olbermann's 1.6 million. Maddow also outdrew Olbermann in the advertiser-friendly 25-54 demographic, taking 25,000 more young adults than her lead-in "Countdown."

Full ratings numbers below (via TV By The Numbers):

8PM - P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
The O'Reilly Factor- 3,060,000 viewers (731,000) (1,253,000)
Election Center-1,166,000 viewers (431,000) (576,000)
Countdown w/Keith Olbermann- 1,635,000 viewers (509,000) (771,000)
On the Money--207,000 viewers (65,000) (106,000)
Nancy Grace -1,166,000 viewers (412,000) (618,000)

9 PM - P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
Hannity & Colmes-3,136,000 viewers (716,000) (1,375,000)
Larry King--1,710,000 viewers (496,000) (801,000)
Rachel Maddow Show-1,801,000 viewers (534,000) (872,000)
Business of Innovation--a scratch w/102,000 viewers (a scratch w/42,000) (59,000)
Glenn Beck- 656,000 viewers (211,000) (354,000)

10 PM P2+ (25-54) (35-64)
On the Record w/Greta--2,908,000 viewers (727,000) (1,367,000)
Anderson Cooper 360-1,828,000 viewers (647,000) (898,000)
Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann-1,127,000 viewers (412,000) (616,000)
Saving General Motors-187,000 viewers (93,000) (121,000)
Nancy Grace -717,000 viewers (373,000) (420,000)

Update: The hosts of Morning Joe congratulated Rachel Maddow on her ratings success Thursday morning. Joe Scarborough, who has sparred with Maddow in the past, had particularly kind words for her, saying:

TV folk are some of the craziest folk I know, as Krusty the Clown might say. But she is a good, good person. We probably don't agree on anything politically. But she's respectful of people, and it's great. File this under, one of those good people doing well."

Watch:

Comments

[dadw5boys]

THE ONLY REASON RIGHT WING SHOWS HAVE HIGH RATING IS BUSINESS OWNERS LEAVE THEM ON ALL THE TIME EVEN IF NO ONE IS WATCHING THEM

[chroipahtz]

Took the words right out of my mouth. Notice how the 3 Fox News shows have almost identical ratings? Wonder why that is? Do you expect me to believe that all these people are watching a solid 3 hour block of nonsense every night?

[mannemalon]

Good point.

[sayrahplayen]

I agree, if I walk into a place and Fox's on ....I walk out

If they are for Fox, they are not getting my money!!!!!!!!!

[zigzag1]

I contacted the home office of a major banking chain in Az and told them I was offended that I was forced to watch Fox while I stood in line at their banks. CNN has replaced Fox at their locations here.

[bugsbonzai]

Uh, call me crazy, but I don't think that's how ratings are tracked. There are no GPS devices on televisions tracking your every movement, to my knowledge. Don't they still track based on sampling, just like polls? That would make your argument moot, unless Nielsen was contacting all these businesses to be a representative sampling. Maybe I'm living in the 80's, but that's how I thought they "tracked" ratings.

[rowzeer]

The real reason right wing shows...tv and radio...have higher ratings is because right wingers can't think for themselves. They always have to tune in for the latest talking points. They can't make a decision so they tune in to be told how to think...were left wingers actually have lives outside of listening to radio or watching tv

[nancytheragingliberal]

I have been listening to Rachel, since she began on Air America Radio. She is the best of the best. It is about time that liberal/progressive minded people have a place to call home. I hope MSNBC continues on this agreeable path. It is amazing to me that Fox/Fake News has such huge numbers of people watching their shows. Oh well, now Convervatives and Liberals have their own channels.

[chroipahtz]

Hardly. Liberals have Olbermann and Maddow. The entire daytime and nighttime blocks of Fox News get the same republican talking points, so they crap over Obama all day long. If MSNBC was really a bastion of liberalism, we'd get truth all day long, instead of just 2 hours a day.

[freedog]

Fox averages more than double, every night of the week, and if you total all of foxnews, they bring in more viewers than all cable channels, combined.

[biglover]

Yes, and they have been at it longer.

[mediamarv]

Yes, but since no brains are involved, your statistics are somewhat worthless.

Thanks for contributing to the dialogue tho.

[debb17055]

I can't pull myself away from the MSNBC coverage since watching both of the conventions. I had never watched this station until then, but I wanted to see what the opposition was spewing out about each other.
Lets just say I'm in pig heaven (no pun intended!).
Hardball, Countdown, and now Rachel Maddow. These are the "real reality shows".
Now what am I going to do when I have to choose between Grey's Anatomy premier show and Rachel Maddow? I'll tape Grey's and watch Rachel. I have my priorities in order, thank you very much.
Thanks MSNBC!

[Muffy7]

I will do the same thing, Rachel is much more important than Grey's even tho I like it.

I love Keith, kind of think it is strange how a guy his age and intellect, moved into his half his age blonde bimbo girl friends apartment. He still has a great show. Rachel is wonderful, so beautiful and bright. I would not miss her program. Evident that she is a Rhodes scholar.

MSNBC should get rid of some of its losers now, i.e. Scarborough, Tucker, Mika and Buchanan to start with.

[LoveOverGold]

I knew the first time I heard Rachel on Air America that she would go far! Last year I emailed MSNBC and told them that they probably lose most of their audience as soon as the prison shows came on after Countdown, and why not have Rachel Maddow after Olberman instead? I'm sure the folks at MSNBC got many viewer comments like mine. Thanks MSNBC! Thanks Rachel!

[biglover]

I j took a poll just yesterday from NewsMax (run by MSNBC) and they specifically asked what you thought about the Doc Bloc shows, Caught on Camera, and Catch a Predator and if they fit in with the MSNBC lineup and of course I said they were lousy, I hardly ever watched them and they should get rid of them even if they have to repeat the shows from during the day that people who work don't get to see. I live in Los Angeles, and they are now repeating Rachel's show right after they repeat Keith's show, then comes a repeat of Hardball.

I love Rachel. I first saw her a few years ago when Tucker Carlson had his first show on MSNBC and to his credit he had her on for the other point of view and I was impressed then and even more so. I think she is absolutely one of the best and she comes off so poised and not stuck up or arrogant and so respectful of her guests. I knew she would steal Keith's limelight. I don't really think he cares that much. I give him credit (even though he is a blowhard at times) because he changed the face of Cable news and gave the libs and the progressives a voice, something we didn't have after they fired Phil Donahue.

I am delighted for Rachel

[biglover]

I made an error in my post above. It was a poll by News VIP Panel which is run by MSNBC - I confused it with that awful NewsMax which is run by the right winger David Horowitz. So sorry for the err.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

I noticed that last night because I was out with friends for drinks and I got to watch Rachel, Keith and Hardball late lastnight Thanks MSNBC! I still like Chris, I know folks don't like him -- but he keeps it real!

[sayrahplayen]

good point ....I've watch Rachel when she was a regular guest on Tucker.....Hated Tucker loved her.....

[MandieD]

The only time I've ever felt anything other than contempt for Carlson? When Jon Stewart pwned him so badly on Crossfire. And then I felt contempt mixed with pity. :)

[NevadaDem]

I love Rachel...and I love Keith. The perfect (2) hrs. of cable evening news!!!

[mannemalon]

yep!

[MissKaren]

I don't get MSNBC on my TV but I catch both of them on the computer either later that night or the next day. It's what I need to feel that the world is still sane.

[politicalminded]

I mean c'mon.....This lady has a Doctorate in Political Science. Not surprised at all. Only a matter of time.

[editorjuno]

It takes more than education -- there's no way I would watch "The Henry Kissinger Show!"

[ssgman]

You are correct. It also takes not being a fcktrd bstrd.

[MandieD]

I'd probably watch it for the laughs.

[marytny]

And Keith went to Cornell. I think Bill Maher did too.

But, then again, people with educations are elitist and
eat fancy lettuce....heavy sigh.....

[ssgman]

sigh....

[Muffy7]

Yea, and they are all smart enough to be for Obama.

Yes, the guys went to Cornell, don't know where Rachel went, did not know she had a PhD. Knew she was a Rhodes Scholar.

Love all 3 of them.

[entopticon]

I love Rachel Maddow. I love Keith Olberman as well.

Why is it that the Huffington Post is always SO OBSESSED with attacking Keith Olberman. The number of anti-Olberman stories here is astonishing.

I really don't need to see any more stories about how the Huffington Post thinks Keith Olberman is "imploding" or about how Fox News beat him in the ratings on some particular night.

YOUR ANTI-OLBERMAN OBSESSION IS RIDICULOUS. GET OVER IT ALREADY.

[grizhead63]

Rachel and Keith are both excellent in different ways. Morning Joe was right on about Rachel's demeanor.

[biglover]

I don't see Huffpo as attacking Keith at all. I know Arianna thinks the world of him. I think what you are seeing is fair reporting. Remember on this site, you get the good, the bad and the ugly unlike on right wing sites where all you get is their side - you know the "lipstick on a pig" stuff.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

Yes, when Tucker attacked Keith at the DNC forum -- Arianna was all over him, defending Keith!

[entopticon]

I wish you were right, but I strongly disagree. When it comes to Olberman, some of the stories here don't read like news at all. They literally take their stories on Keith directly from Fox News talking points. Olberman is "imploding"? (that was one of their many anti-keith atacks) Ridiculous. Olberman has carried MSNBC in primetime for quite a while now.

[sayrahplayen]

They are all LOSERS!!!!!!!!!

I love Keith..........I love it when he socks Bill-O-The­-Clown!!!!­!!

[MandieD]

I love Keith to bits, but I can see how he'd irritate some people. He's kind of ... what's the word? Prickly? He's always got an opinion -- and he has a loud enough voice and a big enough audience to make him dangerous, to some people at least. In a weird way, the anti-Olbermann brigade could be a weird kind of compliment. He threatens the accepted worldview for a lot of people.

[smartWENTcrazy]

I agree, Rachel for president.

[abouttime]

Ratings?
wow, lots of people watch TV.
Makes the corps happy.

[kellygrrrl]

Rachel Maddow for President!!!!

[AlohaMark2]

It would be interesting if we could see where these viewers live. I need to know where these 3M+ viewers are that watch H&c and ORiley so I can stay as far aways as possible. I'm guessing red/blue.

Congrats Rachel-good to see a smart, progressive women succeed.

[politicalminded]

That was pretty shocking to me too. I mean H & C and O'Riley and all.

[marytny]

Look up the demographic of largest concentration of high school drop outs
and AARP card holders.

[23000Days]

Good for ya' Rachael!
This will have the added benefit of drawing a larger crowd to both her and KO's shows.

[MissKaren]

Wouldn't you just love to see Maddow interview Sarah Palin????

[MandieD]

It'd be more of an implosion than an interview. :)

[BigLib]

Keefe will now have to make her the Worst Person in the World.

[jinjinpinti]

Just as Obama is now doing with obvious success: "Dumb it down" a bit, Keith. All those who matter know you're smart, the rest need what Rachel so superbly does. She simplifies the complex brilliantly while still demonstrating her superior intellect. We still love ya though, and thank you for being someone who helped bring us this charming, smart woman to our tv screens.