Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Fox News Channel Ends 2024 With Highest Shares In Decade

FOX News Channel (FNC) continued to break ratings records in 2024, finishing the year with the highest share of the cable news audience in nearly a decade as it marks nine consecutive years as the highest-rated cable network in all of television, according to Nielsen Media Research.

FNC was the number one network throughout the political cycle and more viewers tuned into the network for breaking news coverage of major events than any other cable news channel, catapulting FNC to another year of ratings dominance. 

This past year, FNC held 55% of the cable news audience in primetime and 53% in total day, securing the majority of those watching the genre and notching its highest share of the audience since 2015. FNC also was up the most in every category versus the year prior, posting double-digit gains across the board, and delivered double- and triple-digit advantages over the competition in viewers, A25-54 and A18-49. In primetime, FNC averaged 2,406,000 viewers (+31% vs. 2023) and 298,000 in A25-54 (+42% vs. 2023), topping CNN and MSNBC combined in viewership. In total day, FNC saw 1,462,000 viewers (+21% vs.2023) and 187,000 in A25-54 (+26% vs. 2023). 

The fastest growing cable channel of the year, FNC programs made up 70 of the top 100 cable news telecasts and the network had the highest length of tune in the genre across all categories. Additionally, more Independents and Democrats continued to choose FNC over any other network with A25-54, according to Nielsen MRI Fusion. The network was also number one among Hispanic, Asian and upscale viewers. Notably, CNN reached another new low, finishing the year with its smallest audience in network history in total day A25-54 with a paltry 92,000 in the demo and 488,000 in viewers.

Suzanne Scott
In commenting on the milestone, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “Throughout coverage of a tumultuous political cycle, wars in the Middle East and major breaking news events, millions of viewers across the political spectrum continued to tune into FOX News Channel for our unrivaled reporting and analysis. I am extremely proud of our entire team for proving once again why we are the nation’s most-watched network as we outpaced the competition in covering the stories that mattered most to everyday Americans.”

During the 2024 election cycle, more viewers turned to FNC than any other cable news network for historic political news including the lead up to and following election night, headline grabbing interviews, presidential debate simulcasts, the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden dropping out of the presidential race. According to Nielsen Media Research, FNC was the most watched cable news network in every swing state, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. A YouGov study during the election cycle found more Independents get their news from the network than any of the competition.

Ratings Graphics Courtery of ROADMN




FOX News Media’s coverage of election night topped all television networks with nearly 13.6 million viewers and 4.4 million in the A25-54 demo while its broadcast of Vice President Kamala Harris’ concession speech was also number one with nearly 8 million viewers. 



The week following the election FNC’s Special Report topped CBS” The Evening News while America’s Newsroom and The Faulkner Focus outpaced The View despite being in millions less homes than the broadcast networks. FOX News Media’s simulcast of ABC’s presidential debate between Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump garnered 14.2 million viewers, topping NBC, CBS and cable news on September 10th, while its simulcast of the CNN presidential debate drew the largest audience in television with 13.4 million viewers. The network also made history as it delivered the highest-rated primetime convention coverage of all time during the RNC with 10.4 million viewers and 2 million in 25-54 from 10-11 PM/ET. FNC’s live breaking news coverage of the attempted assassination of former President Trump was its highest-rated weekend ever delivering 6.9 million viewers and 1.4 million in the 25-54 demo. Later in July, the network also led during breaking news coverage of President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign, with 2.1 million viewers and 336,000 in 25-54.

Since the election, FOX News captured 73% of the cable news audience in primetime as MSNBC and CNN ushered in historic declines. In primetime, MSNBC has seen 61% of its A25-54 audience flee the channel with the network delivering only 54,000 in A25-54 and 601,000 in viewers (-55%). CNN has lost over half of its audience in primetime in the A25-54 demo in primetime, averaging 75,000 (-52%) in A25-54 and 394,000 in viewers (-45%). FNC has notched 284 of the top cable news telecasts since the day after the election with MSNBC and CNN failing to garner over two million viewers since November 6th.

Ratings Graphic Courtesy of ROANMN


In 2024, FNC programs made up the top 12 programs in viewers, including The Five, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, Gutfeld!, The Ingraham Angle, Special Report with Bret Baier, Outnumbered, The Faulkner Focus, America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith, The Story with Martha MacCallum and Your World with Neil Cavuto. The network also notched the top 14 programs in A25-54 with Gutfeld!, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, The Five, The Ingraham Angle, Special Report with Bret Baier, Outnumbered, FOX News @ Night, The Faulkner Focus, America’s Newsroom, America Reports, Your World with Neil Cavuto, The Story and FOX & Friends. 

Additionally, FNC secured the 13 of the top 15 highest-rated programs in A18-49, including Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, Gutfeld!, The Five, The Ingraham Angle, Special Report with Bret Baier, FOX News @ Night, Outnumbered, The Faulkner Focus, America Reports, Your World with Neil Cavuto, The Story, America’s Newsroom and FOX & Friends.

The Five made history marking the third consecutive year it has topped cable news with viewers and becoming the first non-primetime show to deliver over four million viewers during its highest-rated fourth quarter ever (4,032,000 P2+; 432,000 A25-54). During 2024, FNC’s late afternoon ensemble program (weekdays, 5 PM/ET) drew cable news’ largest audience in viewers and the 25-54 demo, averaging 3.4 million viewers and 330,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

FNC’s primetime lineup crushed the cable news competition, kicking off with The Ingraham Angle dominating the 7 PM/ET timeslot with 2.5 million viewers and 275,000 in 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime was the most-watched cable news program with primetime viewers, commanding 3.1 million viewers and 348,000 in the 25-54 demo and Hannity (weekdays at 9 PM/ET) drew the third largest audience with viewers, delivering 2.7 million viewers and 320,000 in 25-54 demo.
 

FNC’s runaway late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) soared past the cable and broadcast competition, averaging 2.5 million viewers and 355,000 in 25-54 demo. In fact, Gutfeld! led all of cable news in the 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! continued to disrupt the late-night landscape, outpacing broadcast shows CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and beating all of cable late night in viewers, 25-54 demo and the younger A18-49 demo. The show’s September 18th interview with former President Donald Trump commanded nearly 5 million viewers and 744,000 in the 25-54 demo, the highest-rated show in the program’s history.

No comments:

Post a Comment