The Lead with Jake Tapper Ratings
| 1MO | 3MO | 6MO | YTD | 1YR | 2YR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.87 | 8.19 | 64.43 | 18.88 | 80.85 | 59.28 |
The Lead with Jake Tapper is a weekday late afternoon newscast program broadcast on CNN in the United States, and simulcast around the world by CNN International. The early evening show, which airs live at 4-5PM/ET from the network's studios in Washington D.C., covers the day's top stories from around the country and the globe with topics ranging from breaking news in politics and world events, to politics, money, sports, tech, health, and popular culture. Since its debut in March 2013, The Lead has worked to ensure that viewers are caught up-to-date on the headlines that matter, often highlighting news stories that may have been overlooked.
The Lead is hosted by the award-winning CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper, who joined the network in January 2013. Tapper also anchors CNN's Sunday morning show State of the Union, since June 2015. A widely-respected reporter in the nation's capital, Tapper lent his political expertise to CNN's 2016 election coverage and moderated two Presidential Primary debates. His reporting has been recognized with awards, including the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism, the Los Angeles Press Club's Presidents Award for Impact on Media, and The Canadian Journalism Foundation's Tribute to Exemplary Journalism.
The Lead with Jake Tapper Ratings Chart
Jake Tapper Ratings: With The Lead, Tapper delivered the highest rating for his show on CNN in the first quarter of 2020, when it was adjudged the most-watched program on the entire network for that period by Nielsen Ratings. This is most remarkable considering the 4pm time slot is not the busiest and falls outside the primetime zone. In 2017, Bill O'Reilly criticized Tapper's ratings by tweeting: "Sean Hannity kicking serious butt in the ratings. Tapper on CNN as low as you can go." The Lead, however, has consistently ranked among the most highly-rated shows on CNN.
The Lead with Jake Tapper Historical Ratings
| Date | Demo A25-54 | Demo P2+ | P2+ Gain | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Audience | Change | Rank | Audience | Change | ||
| Aug 2020 | 20 | 306,000 | -6.13% | 28 | 1,322,000 | -2.87% | +332% |
| Jul 2020 | 15 | 326,000 | -23.65% | 28 | 1,361,000 | -15.2% | +317% |
| Jun 2020 | 14 | 427,000 | +21.31% | 26 | 1,605,000 | +11.46% | +276% |
| May 2020 | 14 | 352,000 | -34.08% | 24 | 1,440,000 | -24.37% | +309% |
| Apr 2020 | 12 | 534,000 | +40.9% | 24 | 1,904,000 | +37.27% | +257% |
| Mar 2020 | 12 | 379,000 | +126.95% | 22 | 1,387,000 | +72.51% | +266% |
| Feb 2020 | 27 | 167,000 | -32.11% | 35 | 804,000 | -27.7% | +381% |
| Nov 2019 | 26 | 246,000 | +10.31% | 30 | 1,112,000 | +4.51% | +352% |
| Oct 2019 | 26 | 223,000 | +35.15% | 35 | 1,064,000 | +34.85% | +377% |
| Sep 2019 | 26 | 165,000 | +5.1% | 37 | 789,000 | +7.2% | +378% |
| Aug 2019 | 26 | 157,000 | +3.97% | 36 | 736,000 | +0.68% | +369% |
| Jul 2019 | 27 | 151,000 | 36 | 731,000 | +384% | ||
Cable News Network Top Programs
| Rank | Name | R-Chg | Cov. % | Audience | A-Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cuomo Prime Time | 1.6 | 1,651,000 | 11.47 | |
| 2 | Anderson Cooper 360° | 1.5 | 1,506,000 | 9.28 | |
| 3 | Erin Burnett Outfront | 1.4 | 1,403,000 | 0.36 | |
| 4 | The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer | 1.4 | 1,386,000 | 1.54 | |
| 5 | The Lead with Jake Tapper | 1.4 | 1,322,000 | 2.87 | |
| 6 | CNN Newsroom | 1 | 1.2 | 1,145,000 | 2.97 |
| 7 | CNN Tonight with Don Lemon | 1 | 1.1 | 1,118,000 | 10.85 |
| 8 | New Day | 0.7 | 619,000 | 2.06 | |
| 9 | CNN Newsroom Live | 0.4 | 398,000 | 5.46 | |
| 10 | Early Start | 0.4 | 384,000 | 3.03 |
