TV Ratings: FNC Scores Seventh Straight Year As Cable TV Leader

FOX News Channel (FNC) notched its seventh year as leader in all of cable television while delivering the third highest-rated year ever in cable news history for 2022 in total day viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. 

The network’s programs continued to break new ratings records throughout the year, resulting in FNC continuing as the number one cable network in primetime and total day in viewers in basic cable for the seventh consecutive year and the highest-rated cable news network for the 21st straight year. 

In primetime, FNC averaged 2,330,000 total viewers, 346,000 in the 25-54 demo and 214,000 in the 18-49 demo. In total day, FNC was the only network to post increases versus 2021, delivering 1,489,000 total viewers, 231,000 in the 25-54 demo and 141,000 in the 18-49 demo. FNC trounced CNN and MSNBC combined in primetime and total day across both categories, finishing the year as the only cable news network to notch more than 2 million in primetime viewers and 1 million in total day viewers. 

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

FNC programs made up 92 of the top 100 cable news shows during 2022. Notably, CNN and MSNBC each saw their lowest-rated years of all time in total day with the younger A25-54 demo. According to data from Nielsen/MRI Fusion, FNC also attracted the most politically diverse audience in cable news with more Democrats, Independents and Republicans tuning into FNC than any other network in total viewers and the younger A25-54 demo. This year, FNC had its second highest share of the cable news audience in its history with 53% in total day in the 25-54 demo. FNC also drew 55% of the primetime audience in total viewers.

Suzanne Scott

In commenting on 2022’s ratings, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “From America’s choice on election night to the home of late night’s smash hit show, 2022 was a testament to our unmatched skill in delivering the most innovative news and opinion programming to our audience which continues to rank as the most politically diverse in cable news. I am beyond proud of our entire team’s incredible achievements this year.”

During 2022, FNC scored the top 13 out of 15 programs in cable news with total viewers, including The Five, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, Special Report with Bret Baier, The Ingraham Angle, Gutfeld!, Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom, The Faulkner Focus, Your World with Neil Cavuto, America Reports and The Story. FNC also had the top 15 rated shows in A25-54 and the 13 highest-rated shows with the 18-49 demo.

FNC’s The Five continued to smash records this year. For the first time in television history, a non-primetime cable program closed out the year as cable’s most-watched in total viewers. Airing at 5 PM/ET, FNC’s late afternoon program crushed all daytime and primetime programming on CNN and MSNBC, garnering cable news’ largest audience in 2022 with 3,432,000 viewers and 465,000 in A25-54. Tucker Carlson Tonight was cable news’ highest-rated program in the A25-54 demo, averaging 523,000 viewers in A25-54 and 3,322,000 total viewers at 8 PM/ET. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity dominated the timeslot, topping MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight and CNN’s CNN Tonight combined across the board, with 2,815,000 viewers and 417,000 in A25-54. FNC’s Laura Ingraham continued her reign as cable news’ highest-rated female host as The Ingraham Angle crushed the 10 PM/ET competition combined in viewers and A25-54, delivering 2,280,000 viewers and 358,000 A25-54.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

In 2022, FNC’s late-night program Gutfeld! delivered its most-watched year ever and continued to upend the genre, becoming the first late-night show to unseat CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in viewers for a full month since 2017. The program held nearly 30% of the late-night audience share this year, increasing its audience year over year. Gutfeld! has been the highest rated late-night program in all of television since August and finished 2022 as the second most-watched host in late-night television. FNC’s Gutfeld! (weekdays, 11 PM/ET) averaged 2,045,000 viewers (+28%) and 345,000 (+12%) in A25-54, posting double digit gains since 2021 in both categories and topping NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! in viewers. Additionally, Gutfeld! beats all of cable late night in viewers, A25-54 and the younger A18-49 demo, including Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, HBO’s Last Week Tonight and Real Time with Bill Maher.

At 6 PM/ET, FNC’s premier news program, Special Report with Bret Baier, finished the year with cable news’ largest audience in that hour, averaging 2.5 million viewers and 358,000 in A25-54. Jesse Watters Primetime (weeknights, 7 PM/ET) was 2022’s fastest growing cable news show and crushed the competition across the board with 2.9 million viewers and 396,000 in A25-54, delivering the highest-rated 7 PM/ET hour in cable news history. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher easily bested the competition, delivering 1.1 million viewers and 227,000 A25-54.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

FNC’s signature morning franchise FOX & Friends continued to dominate the cable news’ wake-up program landscape. FOX & Friends (6-9 AM/ET) was the highest-rated morning show for the 22nd consecutive year, topping CNN and MSNBC combined in viewers and the younger demo with 1.4 million viewers and 232,000 in the A25-54 demo. FOX & Friends also outpaced every primetime and daytime program on CNN for the year across the board and every MSNBC program in the younger A25-54 demo. FNC’s early AM show FOX & Friends First (weekday, 4-6 AM/ET), with co-hosts Todd Piro and Carley Shimkus, topped the competition in both categories, delivering 559,000 viewers and 113,000 in A25-54.

FNC’s daytime lineup continued as cable’s most-watched destination for the latest in news. Each program posted increases versus 2021, beginning with America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (9-11 AM/ET) which averaged 1.8 million total viewers and 259,000 in the 25-54 demo.