TV Ratings: FOX News Channel Dominates Cable News

During the week of December 2-8, FOX News Channel (FNC) commanded 71% of the primetime cable news share, while MSNBC and CNN continued to shed viewers following the election. 

FNC continued to lead all of cable with primetime and total day viewers during the final regular season week of college football. In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC earned 2.5 million viewers and 280,000 in the 25-54 demo, commanding all of cable news across the board. 

In total day (6AM-6AM/ET), FNC posted 1.7 million viewers and 208,000 in the 25-54 demo. Notably, FNC secured 99 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the week. Additionally, through the week FNC crushed CNN by 426% with total day viewers and 579% with primetime viewers and trounced MSNBC by 269% with total day viewers and 294% with primetime viewers. The FOX Nation Patriot Awards, which aired on Sunday on FNC at 10 PM/ET, delivered over 1 million viewers, far outpacing CNN Heroes by 263% on the same night.

• For the week, MSNBC and CNN reached a number of historic lows. Its programs including Alex Wagner Tonight (595,000 P2+), Inside with Jen Psaki (651,000 P2+) and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell (61,000 A25-54) along with CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins (77,000 A2-54) all suffered their worst week ever.
• Since the election, FOX News occupied 73% of the cable news audience in primetime as the majority of those watching the genre are turning into the network while MSNBC and CNN’s viewership drop-offs continue. In primetime, MSNBC has seen 62% of its A25-54 audience flee the channel with the network delivering only 56,000 in A25-54 and 603,000 in viewers (-55%). CNN has lost over half of its audience in primetime in the A25-54 demo in primetime, averaging 78,000 (-51%) in A25-54 and 401,000 in viewers (-46%). Audiences have continued to dwindle in total day for MSNBC and CNN with MSNBC losing over half of its audience in A25-54 with 43,000 (-53%) and down nearly fifty percent in viewers with 455,000 (-47%) and CNN dropping 41% in A25-54 with 57,000 viewers and 330,000 in P2+ (-35%). 

Ratings Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

• For the week, The Five averaged 4.1 million viewers and 431,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading cable news with viewers. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 3.1 million viewers and 344,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 2.9 million viewers and 326,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 3.5 million viewers and 383,000 in the 25-54 demo, making it the top show in cable news primetime in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 2.9 million viewers and 333,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.6 million viewers and 244,000 in the 25-54 demo.
• FNC also saw a number of its daytime programs outrank the broadcast competition. Most notably, Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2,221,000 P2+) and Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2,111,000 P2+) outpaced CBS Mornings (2,096,000 P2+). The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 2,053,000 P2+), America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 2,045,000 P2+), America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1,972,000) and FOX & Friends (1,430,000 P2+) all outpaced NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna (1,396,000 P2+), ABC’s GMA3 (1,361,000 P2+), CBS’ The Talk (1,269,000 P2+) and NBC News Daily (1,210,000 P2+).

• On Saturday: FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 10 AM/ET) was the most-watched show of the day with 1,554,000 viewers and 149,000 in the 25-54 demo. Cavuto Live (weekends, 10 AM -12 PM/ET) followed with 1,519,000 viewers and 145,000 in the 25-54 demo. Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) was the most-watched show in primetime with 1,432,000 viewers.
• On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday 10 AM/ET) was the top show of the weekend with 1.7 million viewers and 159,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 10 PM/ET, the FOX Nation Patriot Awards secured over 1 million viewers and 106,000 in the 25-54 demo. CNN Heroes, which also aired in primetime on Sunday night, struggled to only grab 276,000 viewers and 46,000 in the 25-54 demo. Life, Liberty & Levin was the most-watched show in primetime with 1.3 million viewers.

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 12-2-24 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54, P18-49. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

A trio of MSNBC programs hit all-time viewership lows last week as the network continues to struggle on the heels of President-elect Donald Trump’s Election Day victory.  "Alex Wagner Tonight," "Inside with Jen Psaki" and "The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell" all hit rock bottom last week despite a busy news cycle that included the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the ensuing manhunt for his killer, a slew of news related to Trump’s Cabinet picks, the fallout from President Biden announcing he would pardon his son, Hunter, and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad being ousted from power. 

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program of the week in Total Viewers (7.896 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports) during the week of Dec. 2, 2024, based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the evening’s No. 1 newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.896 million), Adults 25-54 (1.078 million) and Adults 18-49 (734,000), beating “NBC Nightly News” (6.339 million, 929,000 and 611,000, respectively) by 1.557 million Total Viewers, by 149,000 Adults 25-54 and by 123,000 Adults 18-49.

• “World News Tonight” increased its lead over “NBC Nightly News” compared to the previous week in Total Viewers (+7% – 1.557 million vs. 1.538 million), Adults 25-54 (+91% – 149,000 vs. 78,000) and Adults 18-49 (+92% – 123,000 vs. 64,000).
• “World News Tonight” widened its margins over “NBC Nightly News” year to year in Total Viewers (+42% – 1.557 million vs. 1.100 million), Adults 25-54 (+452% – 149,000 vs. 27,000) and Adults 18-49 (+137% – 123,000 vs. 52,000).
• “World News Tonight” improved on the previous week in all key target demos: Total Viewers (+3%/+219,000 – 7.896 million vs. 7.677 million), Adults 25-54 (+7%/+66,000 – 1.078 million vs. 1.012 million) and Adults 18-49 (+4%/+31,000 – 734,000 vs. 703,000). In fact, “World News Tonight” drew its largest overall audience in 10 months — since w/o 2/12/24.
• “World News Tonight” saw gains on the same week last year in Total Viewers (+1%/+87,000 – 7.896 million vs. 7.809 million), Adults 25-54 (+3%/+29,000 – 1.078 million vs. 1.049 million) and Adults 18-49 (+2%/+14,000 – 734,000 vs. 720,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” stood as the only evening newscast to increase across the board year to year.

• “World News Tonight” is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 6th straight season. “World News Tonight” (1.071 million and 734,000, respectively) is leading NBC (893,000 and 590,000, respectively), increasing its margins from the same point last season by triple digits in Adults 25-54 (+230% – 178,000 vs. 54,000) and Adults 18-49 (+213% – 144,000 vs. 46,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” is leading “CBS Evening News” (671,000 and 453,000, respectively) by 400,000 Adults 25-54 and by 281,000 Adults 18-49.
• For the week, “World News Tonight” (7.896 million, 1.078 million and 734,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Evening News” (4.669 million, 696,000 and 464,000, respectively) by 3.227 million Total Viewers, by 382,000 Adults 25-54 and by 270,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TELEVISION SHOW RATINGS RANKER

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Friday, December 6, 2024. The audience figures are derived from the latest Nielsen daily, weekly, or monthly P2+ program audience averages, whichever is the most recently available within the past seven-day window.