TV Ratings: Viewers Drops Due To 4th Holiday

Fox News Channel is the No. 1 basic cable outlet in average total viewers and among adults 25-54, both in total day and also in primetime, for the second consecutive week.

TV Newser reports the week beginning July 4, 2022 also marks the 73rd consecutive week that Fox News averaged more total viewers in total day and primetime than its cable news competition.

According to live plus same day data from Nielsen, Fox News averaged 1.95 million total viewers in primetime this past week, No. 1 on basic cable but -6% from what the network averaged during the previous week.  FNC also averaged 288,000 adults 25-54 in primetime, No. 1 on basic cable and +2% from the week prior. Moving to total day, Fox News’ 1.31 million total viewer average is No. 1 on basic cable—and -4% from the network posted in the daypart the previous week. FNC also averaged 198,000 adults 25-54 in total day, No. 1 on basic cable but -1% with the prior week.

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CNN notched a third consecutive week of primetime viewer growth after what was an especially rough ratings stretch. The network hauled in an average of 705,000 total viewers in primetime during the week of July 4. That places CNN at No. 9 on basic cable and up +5% from the week prior, but fewer than Fox News or MSNBC. CNN’s A25-54 viewership in primetime (152,000) ranks No. 18 on basic cable and is also up from the prior week (+6%), and more than what MSNBC averaged in the daypart. CNN’s solid growth in primetime was aided by its highly-rated July 4 special broadcast live last Monday evening.

MSNBC struggled the most during the week that started with the Fourth of July holiday. After back-to-back weeks as the second-most-watched cable network, MSNBC dropped to No. 4, drawing just 982,000 in primetime on average last week.  That’s -28% from what the network averaged in the daypart the previous week. MSNBC averaged just 92,000 adults 25-54 in primetime, No. 33 on basic cable and -40% from the prior week.  

📺Top 20 Primetime TV Shows (Total Viewers)

1. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 6 million

2. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 5.5 million

3. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.96 million

4. “Macy’s 4th July Fireworks,” NBC, 4.5 million

5. “Generation Gap,” ABC, 3.9 million

6. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.8 million

7. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 3.8 million

8. “FBI,” CBS, 3.7 million

9. “Press Your Luck,” ABC, 3.6 million

10. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 3.4 million

11. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Thursday), Fox News Channel, 3.2 million

12. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Wednesday), Fox News Channel, 3.2 million

13. “Chicago Med,” NBC, 3.1 million

14. “FBI: Most Wanted,” CBS, 3.06 million

15. “Chicago Fire,” NBC, 3.05 million

16. “Young Sheldon,” CBS, 3.01 million

17. “The Final Straw,” ABC, 3.01 million

18. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Tuesday), Fox News Channel, 2.99 million

19. “The $100,000 Pyramid,” ABC, 2.97 million

20. “FBI International,” CBS, 2.92 million

On the programming front, Fox News’ The Five was the most-watched show of the week (3.23 million at 5 p.m.) and the second-most-watched among adults 25-54 (418,000) at 8 p.m. Tucker Carlson Tonight came in second in total viewers (3.06 million at 8 p.m.) and No. 1 among adults 25-54 (505,000). Jesse Watters Primetime took third place in average total viewers (2.53 million at 7 p.m.), Special Report with Bret Baier ranks fourth in total viewers with 2.62 million at 6 p.m.—and The Ingraham Angle climbed to No. 5 in average total viewers (2.06 million at 10 p.m.)

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN (w/permission)

📺LATE NIGHT

Gutfeld! (1.96 million at 11 p.m.), Outnumbered (1.71 million at 12 p.m.), The Faulkner Focus (1.51 million at 11 a.m.), America’s Newsroom (1.49 million from 9-11 a.m.) and MSNBC’s Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace (1.41 million from 4-6 p.m.) round out cable news’ 10-most-watched for the week.

The fourth of July holiday taking place on a Monday this year influenced the evening news ratings for this past week. ABC, NBC and CBS all saw significant year-over-year viewership declines (July 4 was on a Sunday in 2021). NBC and CBS actually saw growth in Total Viewers from the previous week, whereas top-ranked ABC shed viewers in multiple measurements.

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

The fourth of July holiday taking place on a Monday this year influenced the evening news ratings for this past week. ABC, NBC and CBS all saw significant year-over-year viewership declines (July 4 was on a Sunday in 2021). NBC and CBS actually saw growth in Total Viewers from the previous week, whereas top-ranked ABC shed viewers in multiple measurements, reports TV Newser.

• World News Tonight remains No. 1, but saw the most significant audience losses from comparable weeks. The newscast shed -4% in total viewers and -9% from the adults 25-54 demo vs. the previous week (June 27). WNT also lost -16% in total viewers and -33% among adults 25-54 from the same week in 2021 (July 5). 
• Lester Holt anchored NBC Nightly News last week from Highland Park, Ill. Nightly News delivers its closest viewer gap with ABC since December of last year, averaging 6.25 million total viewers on the linear network, which +1% from the week before.  The 6.25 million total viewer average places the broadcast at No. 2 on U.S. TV, excluding specials, sports and syndication. That said, the newscast did shed -4% from the comparable week in 2021. Additionally, NBC Nightly News averaged 960,000 adults 25-54 this past week, which is -8% from what Nightly averaged in the demo the previous week—and down -20% from the comparable week in 2021.
• The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell averaged 4.48 million total viewers and 731,000 adults 25-54 for the week of July 4. That’s +3% when it comes to total viewers—and a gain of less than +1% in adults 25-54 from the previous week. Evening News lost -11% in total viewers and -18% among adults 25-54.