The Rise of Morning Joe in the Competitive Morning Show Arena
Here’s the deal: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski’s Morning Joe is not just holding its own—it’s thriving. According to a press release from NBC, the show has been on an incredible run in 2025. In the first quarter alone, Morning Joe doubled CNN's morning audience, marking a stunning 40th consecutive quarterly win over CNN in terms of total viewers and the 12th straight quarterly victory in the all-important demo. MSNBC also claimed the title of the most-watched cable network in Washington, D.C., during weekday mornings. And here’s the kicker: in March, MSNBC averaged three times the number of viewers as CNN during the 6 a.m. hour. That’s a massive win for the network and a testament to the show's enduring appeal.
Audience Growth and Podcast Success: Morning Joe's Double Threat
The momentum hasn’t slowed down since the new administration took office. In the first 10 weeks, the Morning Joe audience surged by an impressive 18% compared to pre-inauguration benchmarks. That’s growth you can’t ignore. But the show’s success doesn’t stop there. Morning Joe is also one of MSNBC's top-performing audio showcasts in the first quarter of 2025, averaging 1.2 million monthly downloads. For the past two years, it’s been the most listened-to showcast across MSNBC. That’s a powerful combination of TV and podcast success, reaching audiences wherever they are.
In March, MSNBC once again outperformed CNN during the 6 a.m. hour, averaging three times the number of viewers and drawing in 2.5 million unique viewers each morning. That’s a lot of people tuning in to hear what Joe and Mika have to say.
Read also:Tarek And Heather El Moussa A Family Journey Like No Other
Joe and Mika: The Dynamic Duo Behind Morning Joe
Joe Scarborough, 61, and Mika Brzezinski, 57, have been the heart and soul of Morning Joe since 2007, joined by the ever-charming Willie Geist from Sunday Today. This power couple, who tied the knot in 2018, brings a fresh perspective to the morning show landscape. Each day, they invite special guests onto the show to dive into the most pressing topics of the day, from politics to global issues. It’s a show that keeps viewers engaged and informed, and it’s clear why it resonates so deeply with audiences.
Joe's Reaction: Celebrating the Team's Success
After the news of their continued success broke, Joe took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his gratitude. “Congrats to the Morning Joe team!” he wrote. “Morning Joe averages TWICE as many viewers as CNN from 6-10am. More people have watched Morning Joe than CNN for 10 years straight. Morning Joe is the #1 show in DC for all of cable. Thanks for all you do. We are grateful!” Joe’s enthusiasm is palpable, and it’s a reflection of the hard work and dedication that goes into making the show a success.
Joe's Vision for the Future: Bringing Celebrity Interviews to Morning Joe
But Joe isn’t done yet. He’s got big plans to take the show in a new direction, one that includes more celebrity interviews. “For years, I’ve wanted us to push back and go more into the original concept of Morning Joe, which was about more than just politics and foreign policy,” Joe told The Hollywood Reporter in January. “It was also about music, film, and Broadway. I don’t want to have Christopher Nolan on at eight o’clock at night. I want my Morning Joe family to be able to hear Christopher Nolan, Robert Downey Jr., and all the Oppenheimer people. I wanted that in the morning. So we moved it back to the morning, and we’ve just focused on it a lot more.”
Life Lessons from the Morning Joe Co-Hosts
Joe and Mika have learned a lot about their relationship over the years, working side by side on television. “Both of us practice a lot of patience and acceptance,” Mika shared in an October 2024 interview with Woman’s World. “Whether you’re together 24/7 or not, that’s key. Otherwise, I’m incredibly blessed and lucky. It’s very hard, and I talk to young women about this, but we have so many opportunities, so please don’t forget the most important one in your life.”
The Blended Family Behind Morning Joe
Joe and Mika’s blended family adds another layer to their story. Joe is a dad to Joey, Andrew, Kate, and Jack Scarborough from his previous marriages, while Mika is a mom to Carlie and Emilie Hoffer, whom she shares with her ex-husband Jim Hoffer. “It can be to have a career and be successful and support your family and yourself,” Mika added. “It’s important to do that. But if your dreams are to have a family—and you don’t have to have those dreams—know that it’s okay to be spending a lot of time and effort on a good connection. If this is something that you want, it can be hard to find, but it can happen and you have much more time than you think. And remember to take love seriously.”
