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Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Fox News Marks 30 Months As Top-Rated Cable News Network


Fox News Channel was the most-watched cable news network in August, taking the #1 spot in prime time among total viewers and in the key demo of adults 25-54, according to ratings data compiled by Nielsen. Forbes reports the monthly win marks 30 consecutive months that Fox has dominated the competition.

MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, which airs on Monday nights, delivered an average total audience of 3 million viewers and 339,000 viewers in the key demo, extending its top-rated run to four consecutive months. August represented Maddow’s most-watched month in more than two years—since March 2021. The show also posted year-over-year gains of 10% among total viewers and 16% in the key demo.

The highest-rated show for the month (Monday through Friday) was Fox News Channel’s The Five, which delivered a total audience of 2.734 million viewers, followed by Jesse Watters Primetime (2.479 million viewers), and Hannity (2.388 million viewers)—all airing on FNC. MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell was fourth overall and the highest-rated show outside of Fox, with an average total audience of 2.036 million viewers. FNC’s Gutfeld! rounded out the top five with 1.955 million viewers.

Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN



In the key demo—the ratings metric most valued by advertisers—Hannity was first overall with 289,000 viewers, followed by The Five (287,000 viewers), Gutfeld! (278,000 viewers), Jesse Watters Primetime (243,000 viewers) and MSNBC’s The Last Word (211,000 viewers). Fox’s new prime time lineup saw ratings growth, delivering double-digit gains among total viewers and in the key demo.


Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN



While Fox had 6 of the top ten and 9 of the top fifteen highest-rated shows in cable news for the month, MSNBC took the rest, with The Beat with Ari Melber finishing the month in 8th place overall (1.875 million viewers), Alex Wagner Tonight was 9th (1.771 million viewers), followed by All In with Chris Hayes (10th place, with 1.738 million viewers), Deadline: White House (11th place with 1.716 million viewers), and The Reidout (12th place with 1.510 million viewers).

CNN’s Ratings Struggles Continue

CNN’s highest-rated show for the month was Anderson Cooper 360, which finished in 26the place overall and delivered an average total audience of 907,000 viewers. CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront was 28th with 850,000 viewers and The Source with Kaitlan Collins just made the top 30 with an average total audience of 802,000 viewers.

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