Tucker's Ratings Beat CNN's Entire Prime Time Line Up Combined. Now CNN Is Targeting His Advertisers.

Over the last month, Tucker Carlson's commercial breaks have had only a smattering of ads from lesser-known brands. It might be a new normal for the Fox News host, who has endured ad boycott campaigns since he made racist remarks on immigrants in December. https://t.co/Ac9sfcYiaS pic.twitter.com/O9GNUKxmyr

— CNN (@CNN) April 2, 2019

Last week, Tucker Carlson outperformed CNN's entire prime time line up combined:

FNC Carlson: 3,475,000 total viewers

CNN Cooper: 810,000
CNN Cuomo: 875,000
CNN Lemon: 789,000

CNN prime time total: 2,474,000

CNN responds by promoting boycotts of his show from far-left groups https://t.co/aBwrrTNOtr

— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) April 2, 2019

"It's a part of the Fox News brand to shock and have their hosts take divisive stances," said Mimi Chakravorti, the executive director at the branding firm Landor. "But as the ad revenue stream gets threatened and public voices get louder it may get harder to justify sticking by these hosts. It's a fine balance Fox News has to maintain -- to cater to their base but also not to cross a certain line."

[...]Last Wednesday, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" drew nearly 3.5 million total viewers, including 584,000 in the all-important 25-54 demographic, easily besting the show's counterparts in the 8 pm hour on CNN and MSNBC. But while those advertisers who have stayed with the show continue to reach a large audience, they could be taking a risk; Chakravorti said that "to think an advertiser's decision, whether to stay or leave, is erased from public memory is dangerous."

"A brand is not built in one action. History cannot be erased in our digital, media filled age," Chakravorti said. "For example, if a brand celebrates International Women's Day in a big, public way, but also advertises on a show where the host has said misogynist things, they risk losing consumers. They can't play both sides. People are looking for brands to be principled and purpose driven."

"If you stay you're saying your brand is aligned with Tucker Carlson -- past and present," she added. "If you leave, you're saying you're not aligned with Tucker's views."

.@CNN brutally savages Kanye West for his Trump support:
"Kanye West is what happens when negros don't read"
"Black folks are about to trade Kanye West in the racial draft"
"He's an attention whore"
"He's a token negro"
"He clearly has issues"
"He's already been hospitalized" pic.twitter.com/tWq3zxadMT

— MAGAPILL ★★★ (@MAGAPILL) October 10, 2018