“They think they can fire me, but they don’t know what I’ve got on them” – Chris Cuomo’s empire is crumbling as NewsNation ratings collapse by nearly 90 percent, yet whispers claim he’s holding a secret that explains why he’s still untouchable

Chris Cuomo’s second act was supposed to be his grand redemption, but instead it has turned into one of the most baffling stories in cable news. Once the face of primetime power, he now hosts a show that barely scratches the surface of relevance, with ratings crashing far below expectations. Yet instead of being shown the door, Cuomo remains firmly in place, sparking furious speculation about what leverage he may have behind the scenes. Insiders are quietly asking how a network hemorrhaging viewers can justify keeping him at the helm. What exactly does Cuomo know, and why does it leave executives looking powerless to cut ties? The whispers of “he’s got them on a string” are only growing louder.

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From CNN Powerhouse to Ratings Disaster

Chris Cuomo’s second act was supposed to be a redemption story. Instead, it has unraveled into one of the most bewildering spectacles in modern cable news.

Just a few years ago, Cuomo stood as one of the biggest names in television. His nightly CNN program, Cuomo Prime Time, routinely attracted millions. His voice shaped conversations, his interviews commanded headlines, and his reputation as a relentless primetime fighter gave him a level of influence that seemed untouchable.

But now, that towering presence has withered. On NewsNation—a fledgling network meant to challenge the titans of CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC—Cuomo has been reduced to presiding over a show that barely registers. According to Nielsen data, his viewership is down nearly 90 percent compared to his CNN days, and his key advertising demo has fallen a stunning 95 percent.

This quarter, Cuomo averages only 164,000 viewers and 15,000 in the 25–54 demo. By comparison, at CNN he pulled 1.4 million nightly and nearly 374,000 in the demo.

The fall is more than steep—it is catastrophic. And yet, despite the collapse, Cuomo remains in place. Not sidelined. Not fired. Still front and center. That paradox has set off a storm of whispers inside the industry.

If his ratings are such a disaster, insiders ask, why is he still there? What secret leverage does Cuomo hold that keeps executives frozen in place?

The Staggering Drop – and the Shadow of His Past

The decline is even more jarring when placed against his final days at CNN in 2021. At that time, Cuomo had already been under fire. His suspension and eventual firing for helping his brother—then-Governor Andrew Cuomo—respond to sexual harassment allegations left his career in tatters. His reputation had been tarnished, but even then, his numbers still dwarfed what he draws today.

During his last quarter at CNN, with all the controversy weighing him down, he still pulled 797,000 total viewers and 165,000 in the demo. Even at his lowest point, he commanded nearly five times the audience he now struggles to attract.

That comparison has not gone unnoticed. It raises the haunting question: if Cuomo could hold an audience even in disgrace at CNN, how has he failed so completely at NewsNation?

The explanation, insiders suggest, is twofold. First, NewsNation itself has never managed to carve a clear identity. Launched in 2020 as a rebrand of WGN America, it promised centrist, balanced coverage in a polarized era. Yet despite heavy investment, splashy hires, and a desire to brand itself as an alternative to the extremes, it has remained little more than a ratings afterthought.

Second, Cuomo’s baggage has never really left him. The shadow of his brother’s scandal still lingers, his CNN exit remains fresh in the public mind, and the once fiery anchor now looks like a star without a stage—still performing, but to an empty theater.

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The anchor’s “Cuomo Prime Time” once drew 1.4 million viewers a night before his 2021 firing.Jeremy Freeman/CNN
Even Newsmax’s “Finnerty” tops Cuomo in the demo, with 319,000 viewers and 25,000 demo.

The numbers underscore how far Cuomo has fallen since his CNN peak in early 2021, when he regularly drew 2.4 million viewers and more than 600,000 in the demo during the height of the pandemic.

By the time he was forced out for advising his brother, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as the governor faced sexual harassment allegations, his ratings had slid but still vastly outpaced what he delivers now.

Cuomo’s struggles on NewsNation reflect the fledgling network’s uphill battle to compete with Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.

Launched in 2020 as a rebrand of WGN America, the channel promised centrist news coverage but has yet to build a strong identity or loyal audience.

Despite heavy investment and high-profile hires including Elizabeth Vargas and Leland Vittert, the network remains a ratings afterthought.

Nonetheless, NewsNation has been growing overall, according to Nielsen figures.

In the past year, the channel is up 16% in total viewers and 17% in the key 25–54 advertising demographic — growth that outpaces both CNN and MSNBC in total-day ratings.

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Even in his last quarter at CNN, Cuomo averaged nearly five times the audience he now draws.CNN

The Networks He Cannot Compete With

The failure becomes even more glaring when compared to his timeslot rivals.

At 8 p.m., Fox News’ Jesse Watters routinely pulls 3.1 million viewers and over 310,000 in the demo. MSNBC’s Chris Hayes averages 874,000 total and 85,000 in the demo. Even CNN’s Anderson Cooper—on a network that itself has struggled—commands 539,000 total and 92,000 in the demo.

Cuomo doesn’t just trail them. He isn’t even in the same league.

Incredibly, even Newsmax—once mocked as a fringe conservative upstart—beats him. “Finnerty,” Newsmax’s program in the same hour, averages 319,000 total and 25,000 in the demo, more than doubling Cuomo’s numbers.

For a man who once regularly commanded 2.4 million viewers a night during the height of the pandemic, these figures are humiliating. They reveal a fall so sharp that it almost defies logic.

And yet, as the numbers sink, Cuomo’s name remains plastered on the marquee. His chair remains safe. His show, despite being one of the weakest in its slot, stays on air.

The Whispers of Leverage

It is this mystery—his continued survival despite catastrophic ratings—that has electrified industry gossip.

“They think they can fire me, but they don’t know what I’ve got on them,” Cuomo was overheard telling a confidant, according to one insider. Whether he meant it as a joke or a veiled warning is unclear, but the remark has fueled speculation that Cuomo holds some kind of leverage over NewsNation executives.

Some believe it may simply be contractual. Perhaps his deal was so ironclad, so expensive to break, that the network has no choice but to keep him, even as viewers vanish. Others whisper darker theories: that Cuomo knows something about the network, its leadership, or its investors—something that would make firing him dangerous.

Whatever the truth, the whispers have taken on a life of their own. To critics, he is not just a struggling anchor; he is a man clinging to relevance through unseen means, protected not by ratings, but by secrets.

NewsNation’s Dilemma

For NewsNation, Cuomo’s struggles are both an embarrassment and a conundrum.

When he was hired in October 2022, the network positioned him as the face of its future. He was the bold gamble, the household name meant to elevate a fledgling channel into mainstream recognition. Instead, he has become an anchor weighed down by his own past and overshadowed by competitors who dominate the field.

Yet, the network itself insists things are not as bleak as they look. Nielsen figures do show that NewsNation has grown overall, up 16 percent in total viewers and 17 percent in the key demo compared to last year. Cuomo’s own program, they argue, is up 25 percent compared to its first quarter.

But those numbers, while technically true, mask the larger reality: even with growth, Cuomo is still trailing hopelessly behind his rivals. The “improvement” is a climb from near invisibility to mild recognition. It is not the breakout success the network promised.

The question, then, is how long this fragile arrangement can last. Can NewsNation continue to justify giving prime airtime to a man whose ratings collapse by the day? Or is Cuomo truly holding something powerful enough to keep him locked in place, untouchable despite his downfall?

A Legacy in Freefall

Cuomo’s career arc reads like a cautionary tale. Once one of the most recognizable faces in American television, he is now a case study in how fast fortunes can turn. From 2.4 million viewers to 164,000. From household relevance to whispered speculation. From a fiery primetime force to an anchor clinging to relevance in obscurity.

And still, the question that keeps industry insiders awake remains unanswered: why is Chris Cuomo still there?

Is it stubborn loyalty from NewsNation, a belief that he will eventually rebuild? Is it the iron grip of a contract? Or is it, as the whispers suggest, something far more scandalous—some hidden card Cuomo keeps tucked away, making him unfireable even as his empire crumbles?

Until the truth emerges, one thing is clear: Chris Cuomo’s story is no longer about ratings, rivals, or networks. It is about survival. And right now, against all odds, he’s still surviving.