TV Ratings Month of January: Fox Continues To Dominate

FOX News Channel (FNC) finished January 2023 surpassing CNN and MSNBC with total day and primetime viewers and A25-54 for the 23rd consecutive month.  FNC also notched 99 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. 

In total day, FNC delivered over 1.3 million viewers, 173,000 in the 25-54 demo and 110,000 with the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC netted over 1.9 million viewers, 239,000 in the 25-54 demo and 157,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network secured the top 13 programs in cable news with viewers and the top 14 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. The Five continued to make history, marking ten consecutive months as the most-watched program in cable news, while Tucker Carlson Tonight led cable news in the younger 25-54 demo. CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? saw its lowest-rated month since launch with total viewers as the show begins its second season seeing double-digit declines on Sunday at 7 PM/ET.

Attracting 54% of cable news viewers across primetime and 53% in total day, FNC continued to deliver over half the genre’s audience share. According to Nielsen MRI-Simmons Fusion, FNC also remained the most-watched network across the political spectrum with more Independents and Democrats choosing FNC as their preferred network than MSNBC and CNN in total day and primetime viewers in the A25-54 demo. FNC was also number one in cable news with Asian viewers in total day and Hispanic viewers in primetime.

Graphic Courtesy of RoanMN

Gutfeld! continued to surpass a number of broadcast late-night programs for the month, besting ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,554,000 P2+) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,372,000 P2+) in total viewers. In cable, FNC’s late-night show swept Comedy Central’s The Daily Show (340,000 P2+, 119,000 A25-54) across the board in total viewers, the 25-54 demo and 18-49. Airing at 11 PM/ET, the program topped every show on CNN and MSNBC as well with both viewers and A25-54. 

Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s late afternoon offering The Five continued as the number one rated show with viewers for the tenth consecutive month and has finished first in cable news for the last 13 out of 14 months. The roundtable program averaged 3.4 million viewers, 379,000 with 25-54 demo and 239,000 in the 18-49 demo, outpacing every show on CNN and MSNBC across the board. 

At 8 PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight continued as the highest-rated program in cable news in the younger 25-54 and 18-49 demos, averaging 3.2 million viewers and 448,000 in the 25-54 demo, as well as 300,000 in the 18-49 category throughout January. 

Hannity at 9 PM/ET scored 2.6 million viewers, 307,000 in the 25-54 demo and 196,000 among adults 18-49, achieving the fourth most-watched program in all categories and outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN combined with total viewers. Comparatively, CNN averaged just 695,000 viewers and 164,000 with A25-54 at 9 PM. 

At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 2.1 million viewers, 280,000 in the 25-54 demo and 177,000 in 18-49 continuing her streak as the most-watched female in cable news. Notably, FNC’s The Five, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Jesse Watters Primetime and Hannity all surpassed ABC’s The View with total viewers.