Don Lemon launched a new social media show after parting ways with CNN, but viewership has sharply declined since his debut interview with Elon Musk drew millions.
Subsequent guests like Kara Swisher, Mo’Nique, and Kevin O’Leary failed to attract significant audiences, with some episodes garnering less than 100,000 views.
Media insiders said Lemon’s cable news style does not translate well to social media.
The Don Lemon Show episode 2: @karaswisher
TIMESTAMPS:
(1:55) Introducing Kara Swisher
(2:20) Elon Musk’s behavior in the interview
(6:35) Tech Giants and the Media
(9:37) Having a wide variety of views on Twitter
(14:35) Donald Trump and Politics
(18:35) Drug Use and Drug… pic.twitter.com/nybDGghrU4— Don Lemon (@donlemon) March 20, 2024
Lemon’s cast “is grappling with a fast-shrinking audience after he was unceremoniously dumped by Elon Musk — and the pittance in revenue may not even cover the costs of his bare-bones production.”
“Nobody is watching,” one media insider said.
“Poor Don, he doesn’t realize people watched the first interview because of Elon — not him! Watching the Elon interview reminded everyone of how much they dislike Don,” they said.
While Lemon promoted the show extensively in legacy media, viewership has continued to drop rather than build an audience as desired.
“To start strong and then immediately fizzle is worse than starting slow and building an audience,” one source said.
This suggests that Musk accurately diagnosed CNN’s failing approach would not work on platforms like X and YouTube.
Establishment voices may not be what audiences seek out compared to independent personalities like Joe Rogan.
Lemon appears to be proving Musk right that his show lacks a formula for success on social media.
