Fox Marks Second Year As Leader In Business News

FOX Business Network (FBN) closed out 2023 as the leader in business news, outpacing CNBC in Business Day viewers for the second straight year, according to Nielsen Media Research. Additionally, the network saw the most growth year-over-year with Monday-Sunday primetime viewers in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 demo, nabbing a 110% advantage from 2022. 

FBN dominated the business news ranker with Larry Kudlow’s Kudlow (weekdays, 4 PM/ET) and Stuart Varney’s Varney & Co. (weekdays, 9 AM-12 PM/ET) ranking as the top two programs in business news for the year. Additionally, pre-market program Mornings with Maria (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET), helmed by Maria Bartiromo, marked a win over CNBC’s Squawk Box for the first time since 2018.

FBN’s key network daypart continued to outpace CNBC. The network’s Business Day (9:30 AM-5 PM/ET) programming averaged 200,000 viewers, a 5% advantage with viewers. During Market Hours (9 AM-4 PM/ET) FBN saw 193,000 total viewers. Meanwhile, FBN’s Monday-Friday primetime programming, from 8-11 PM/ET, garnered 43% year-over-year growth in total viewers, 100% year-over-year growth among the 25-54 demo and 58% growth with the A35-64 demo.

During market-open hours, FBN’s Varney & Co. outpaced CNBC’s Squawk on the Street with viewers (260,000 total viewers) for the second straight year and the sixth yearly win in the show’s history. In the network’s post-market coverage, Larry Kudlow’s eponymous Kudlow was once again the most-watched business news program in cable, garnering a 62% advantage over CNBC’s Closing Bell. The program drew in 279,000 viewers, the second consecutive year it surpassed its competition. 

For the first time since 2018, Maria Bartiromo’s Mornings with Maria (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) crushed CNBC’s Squawk Box during the critical pre-market hours, nabbing 110,000 viewers, its third highest-rated year ever. Neil Cavuto’s CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (weekdays, 12 PM/ET) drew in 163,000 total viewers, the newly minted The Big Money Show (weekdays, 1 PM/ET) scored 138,000 viewers, Making Money (weekdays, 2 PM/ET) saw 145,000 viewers and The Claman Countdown (weekdays, 3 PM/ET) closed out the trading day seeing 159,000 total viewers.

For the year, nearly all of FBN’s post-market programs posted advantages over CNBC. The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald at 5 PM/ET clobbered CNBC’s Fast Money/Options Action with 167,000 viewers and 3% year-over-year growth. The Bottom Line (weekdays, 6 PM/ET) with Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy, which debuted earlier this year, netted 144,000 viewers, a 12% advantage over CNBC’s Mad Money. Notably, Jim Cramer’s Mad Money has not won in the 6 PM/ET timeslot since 2021. The 7 PM/ET encore airing of Kudlow, which began in May and was previously Kennedy, averaged 99,000 viewers, besting CNBC’s newest program, Last Call by 10%. Friday evening program Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street (Fridays, 7-7:30 PM/ET) set a 2% advantage over CNBC while Barron’s Roundtable (Fridays, 7:30-8 PM/ET) remained a fan favorite program.