Fox News Channel Most-Watched Election Night

According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, roughly 25.4 million people watched primetime coverage of the 2022 Midterm Elections on Tuesday. This includes people watching across Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, Telemundo, Univision, CNN, Fox Business, Newsmax and NewsNation. Streaming and CTV data is also included in the 25.4 million.

The total audience for the 2022 midterms averaged 25.4 million viewers, the second lowest since 2002 and a 30% decline from the 36.1 million viewers of the 2018 midterms.TV Newser reports Fox News Channel was the top-rated network, broadcast or cable, on Election Night. FNC won not only in the common coverage period (primetime) but also from 6 p.m.-2 a.m. on Tuesday, November 8.

Fox News was expected to finish No. 1 in Total Viewers in both time periods. However, the network also ranked ahead of all competition among adults 25-54. FNC was the most-watched network during the 2018 Midterms as well, while CNN had been the go-to network among adults 25-54.

With coverage co-anchored by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, Fox averaged 7.42 million total primetime viewers and and 1.88 million A25-54, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data. While that’s a dominant performance and roughly four million more viewers than second-place MSNBC, it’s actually a -5% drop off in total viewers and a -21% drop off among adults 25-54 from 2018. But as you’ll see later, those losses are minor compared to what the competition experienced.

For the first time since 2010 ABC led among the three broadcast networks with an average audience of 3.3 million viewers, a decline of 38% from 2018. NBC averaged 3.1 million viewers (-43% from 2018) and CBS averaged 2.6 million viewers (-33% from 2018). For its primetime coverage CBS News had a median age of 64, ABC News was at 63 and NBC News at 60.

In total:

• 43% watched broadcast network coverage
• 57% watched coverage on cable networks
• 7% of viewers were aged 18-34
• 25% of viewers were aged 35-54
• 65% of viewers were aged 55 and older