Megyn Kelly TV Ratings Update: 'Sunday Night' Numbers Continue to Plummet; Will Her Morning Show Do Better?
Megyn Kelly's show on NBC continues its plummet after a solid debut in June. The most recent episode of "Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly," which airs at 7 p.m. EDT, drew only 3.1 million viewers.
NBC reportedly banked on the show becoming a big hit. "Sunday Night" debuted strong with Kelly's exclusive interview with Russia's President Vladimir Putin yet it has not been able to match its premiere ratings since.
The show still trails behind "60 Minutes" and reruns of "America's Funniest Home Videos." An episode on the popular and controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones couldn't even dent the competition's ratings.
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Following her departure from Fox News Channel in January, NBC hired Kelly with a promised $17.5 million annual salary. But it's not just the ratings that have been a disaster for "Sunday Night." Critics have also not warmed up to her show.
"By all measures, her 'Sunday Night' effort has been a disaster," TV critic Sonia Saraiya wrote via Variety. "Her interviews have been either ridiculed or loathed by the rest of the press, and the ratings reflect a distinct lack of interest."
The bad reviews and ratings come as Kelly is set to begin her morning stint on Sept. 25 with a live studio audience. Her show will be aired during NBC's highly successful "Today" morning program, where she will take the third hour at 9 a.m. EDT.
NBC News President Noah Oppenheim has full confidence in Kelly's addition on "Today." He described her as "one of the most talented and hardest-working producers in television news." Having a live studio audience should also give Kelly's presence a different feel from the anchor program.
"Her intimate knowledge of the brand will be invaluable as we launch Megyn's show under the 'Today' umbrella," Oppenheim added.
Kelly, a lawyer, hosted and produced "The Kelly File" during her stint with Fox from 2013 until her departure from the network.
