Fox News Channels Tops Basic Cable

For the first time ever in FOX News Channel’s (FNC) history, the network led basic cable in both primetime and total day for the entire first quarter of 2016, according to Nielsen Media Research.

FNC outranked all other cable networks for the full quarter, including ESPN, TBS and AMC, and has spent the past 10 consecutive weeks as the #1 cable channel in total day among all viewers.

Following its 14th year as the most-watched cable news channel, FNC delivered its highest-rated quarter in total day in its nearly 20-year history with 1,351,000 in total viewers (up 27% from 1Q’15) and 271,000 in Adults 25-54 (up 30% from 1Q’15). In primetime, FNC posted its highest-rated quarter since 2012 with double-digit increases in both total viewers and the key 25-54 category. Primetime averaged 2,373,000 in total viewers (up 38%) and 483,000 in the demo (up 50%).

The network also notched the top 14 cable news programs in total viewers and nine of the top 10 programs in A25-54.

Check it out:

1. O’Reilly Factor
2. Kelly File
3. Hannity
4. Special Report With Bret Baier
5. The Five
6. O’Reilly Factor (repeat)
7. On the Record With Greta Van Susteren
8. Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN)
9. America’s Newsroom
10. Outnumbered

On the Record with Greta van Susteren was up 12% in total viewers (2,087,000) and delivered its second highest-rated quarter since moving to the 7PM/ET timeslot. The O’Reilly Factor at 8PM/ET continued as the number one program in cable news and earned its highest-rated quarter in both total viewers (3,416,000) and demo (598,000) since 2012. The Kelly File at 9PM/ET delivered its most-watched quarter in total viewers since its 2013 launch (2,516,000). At 10PM/ET, Hannity was up the most in both total viewers (1,882,000/up 35%) and the 25-54 demo (434,000/up 39%) compared to any other FNC primetime program and delivered its highest-rated quarter since the new primetime lineup launched in 2013.

In daytime, FNC’s signature morning program FOX & Friends, with new co-host Ainsley Earhardt, delivered its highest-rated quarter in total viewers (1,159,000) in more than two years (since 4Q ’13). America’s Newsroom co-anchored by Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum also garnered its highest-rated quarter ever in total viewers with 1,621,000 and was up 15% overall. Additionally, the two-year old ensemble program Outnumbered averaged its highest-rated quarter of all time for the 12PM/ET timeslot in total viewers with 1,551,000, up 23%. Your World with Neil Cavuto marked its highest-rated quarter in total viewers since 4Q’12. At 6PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier achieved its highest-rated quarter in the demo in nearly four years with 387,000 (since 4Q’12) and notched its second most-watched quarter ever in total viewers with 2,364,000.

In March, Shepard Smith Reporting at 3PM/ET delivered its highest-rated month in both total viewers (1,502,000) and the demo (248,000) since the launch of the news deck in October 2013. Smith provided extended coverage of the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels.

Additionally, FNC’s coverage of the 2016 election continued to post records with the top-rated Republican primary debate of 2016 on March 3rd, which averaged 17 million viewers and was co-moderated by Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace. The network also delivered the highest-rated primary night in cable news history on March 15th with more than five million total viewers for coverage of the Michigan and Ohio primary results, co-anchored by Baier and Kelly.

Overall, Cable news networks witnessed higher TV viewership in the period, largely due to contentious and entertaining presidential primary and debate programming.

• CNN more than tripled its viewership in prime-time -- up 165% to 1.42 million viewers versus 535,000 for the same period a year ago. CNN, which was in 30th place among all prime-time networks, moved up to sixth place overall.
• MSNBC grew 66% to 888,000 prime-time viewers to land in 16th place versus 536,000 prime-time viewers and its position in 29th place in the first quarter of 2015.

After Fox News, ESPN was in second place at 2.07 million, down 5.7% for the first quarter. TBS was down 13% to 1.73 million, followed by USA, losing 9% to 1.64 million; Discovery, off 7% to 1.36 million; TNT, giving back 10% to 1.31 million; AMC, falling 13% to 1.27 million; and History, 15% lower to 1.24 million.    

Fox News managed this ratings bonanza — the biggest in its history — despite devoting less time than other channels to presidential debates and town halls. MSNBC and CNN held 15 more town halls and debates than Fox.