CableTV Ratings: Fox Number One For News, MSNBC Gains

While Fox News finished No. 1 among all of cable news networks for August, MSNBC gained significantly on CNN to claim second place in major audience categories, according to The Wrap.

CNN points to victories over MSNBC in the key demo of adults age 25-54 during primetime and total day viewers. But MSNBC claims it “trounced CNN in mornings and primetime while also delivering massive growth and notable victories throughout key dayparts.”

Overall, Fox News averaged 2 million total viewers and 347,000 in the demo during primetime, winning both categories. MSNBC averaged 1.13 million total viewers, while CNN trailed with 844,000 total viewers.

In the primetime demo, CNN sneaked past MSNBC with 272,000 viewers to MSNBC’s 264,000. When MSNBC claims a primetime demo victory, it uses data for only Monday through Friday. But when all seven days are included, CNN prevails.

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August viewership had less breaking news and event coverage and focused more on day-to-day coverage of the presidential campaign. CNN averaged 568,000 viewers in the primetime demo during its huge month in July, compared to 272,000 in August, but all three networks dropped significantly versus the jam-packed month.

CNN nearly had its lowest-rated month of 2016, but edged January by 2,000 total viewers and 1,000 in the demo during primetime. CNN was the No. 1 cable channel in Monday-Sunday primetime and Monday-Friday prime, in terms of both total viewers and the key demo, as recently as the week of July 25 during the presidential conventions.

Essentially, all of this proves that viewers turn to CNN for coverage of events and breaking news but many of those viewers prefer Fox or MSNBC for opinion programming.

• Fox News has now been No. 1 overall for 176 straight months.
• MSNBC primetime grew 76 percent in total viewers and 86 percent in the demo compared to August 2015.
• CNN was up 47 percent in total viewers and 53 percent in the demo.

Fox News was down 13 percent in total viewers and down 29 percent in the demo, but still is the most-watched primetime network and, clearly, was absolutely crushing the competition this time last year.

August CableTV Ranker: Click Here