Thursday, March 2, 2023

TV Ratings: Fox News Tops All During February


FOX News Channel (FNC) finished February 2023 surpassing CNN and MSNBC with total day and primetime viewers and A25-54 for two straight years. 

Within basic cable, FNC was the most watched network in all of cable across primetime and total day. FNC also notched 94 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. In total day, FNC delivered over 1.4 million viewers, 189,000 in the 25-54 demo and 121,000 in the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC netted 2.3 million viewers, 299,000 in the 25-54 demo and 198,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network secured the top 13 programs in cable news with viewers and the top 15 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. The Five continued to make history, marking eleven consecutive months as the most-watched program in cable news, while Tucker Carlson Tonight led cable news in the younger 25-54 demo. Notably, Gutfeld! surpassed CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the 25-54 demo for the second time since launch. CNN This Morning secured its worst month since launch, seeing just 360,000 viewers and 73,000 with A25-54.

Attracting 56% of cable news viewers across primetime and 55% 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 across total day and primetime. FNC was also number one in cable news with Asian and Hispanic viewers across both total day and primetime.


Gutfeld! continued to surpass a number of broadcast late-night programs for the month securing 2 million viewers and 322,000 in the 25-54 demo, besting CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (321,000 A25-54) in the younger demo and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,532,000 P2+) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,411,000 P2+) with total viewers. In cable, FNC’s late-night show swept CNN’s airing of Bill Maher’s Overtime in its debut month which averaged just 354,000 viewers and 71,000 with A25-54. Airing at 11 PM/ET, Gutfeld! topped every show on CNN and MSNBC as well with both viewers and A25-54.


At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s late afternoon offering The Five continued as the number one rated show with viewers for the 11th consecutive month and has finished first in cable news for the last 14 out of 15 months. The roundtable program averaged 3.3 million viewers, 371,000 with 25-54 demo and 234,000 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 3.3 million viewers, 461,000 in the 25-54 demo and 308,000 in the 18-49 category throughout February. Hannity at 9 PM/ET scored 2.7 million viewers, 355,000 in the 25-54 demo and 226,000 among adults 18-49, achieving the third most-watched program in A25-54 and outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN combined with total viewers. Comparatively, CNN averaged just 574,000 viewers and 118,000 with A25-54 at 9 PM. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 2.1 million viewers, 281,000 in the 25-54 demo and 182,000 in 18-49 continuing her streak as the most-watched woman in cable news. Notably, FNC’s The Five, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity and Special Report all surpassed ABC’s The View with total viewers.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

CNN also saw a number of lows during the month of February. The network averaged 122,000 in primetime, marking its worst month since 2013 and 89,000 in total day with A25-54, which is the worst month CNN has had since 2012 in the younger demo. Additionally, programs including Anderson Cooper 360 (133,000 A25-54), Erin Burnett Outfront (132,000 A25-54), The Situation Room (122,000 A25-54) and The Lead with Jake Tapper (116,000 A25-54) all saw their worst months with A25-54 since 2014 as well.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN

FNC’s daytime lineup, which kicks off with two-hour morning news program, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), delivered 1.7 million viewers and 212,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.7 million viewers and 211,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.8 million viewers and 218,000 in the 25-54 demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.5 million viewers and 195,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.5 million viewers and 193,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1.6 million viewers and 201,000 in the 25-54 category for the month. Notably, FNC’s Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom and The Faulkner Focus, all topped NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna, ABC’s GMA3, CBS’s The Talk and newly launched NBC News Daily with viewers.

FNC continued to excel against the competition on weekends throughout the month, overtaking CNN and MSNBC across total day and primetime with viewers.

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