TV Ratings: 2024 Starts Strong for Fox, Weak for CNN

For the week of Jan. 1, 2024. Fox News and MSNBC gained viewers after a low-rated holiday week, while CNN lost viewers (in most measurements) after what had been a solid holiday week powered by its New Year’s Eve Live broadcast. All three cable news outlets saw losses relative to the year-ago week, which featured live coverage of a four-days-long House Speaker vote.

With Nielsen live plus same day data for the opening week of 2024 is officially in, and TV News reports with its full-time weekday hosts back on air, Fox News Channel retained its regular position as the top-rated cable news network in total viewers and among Adults 25-54.

In primetime, FNC averaged 1.65 million total viewers and 163,000 A25-54 viewers, up +52% and +34%, respectively, relative to the week prior. Fox’s 1.65 million viewer average is more than CNN and MSNBC’s combined total viewer average in the daypart. In total day viewing, FNC averaged 1.14 million total viewers and 129,000 A25-54 viewers,  +25% and +18%, respectively, from what Fox averaged in those measurements the week prior.

Among all basic cable networks, Fox News ranks No. 2 in total primetime viewers (only behind ESPN and its highly-rated live college football broadcasts), No. 10 in the primetime demo (tied with Bravo), No. 2 in total day viewers (behind ESPN) and No. 4 in the total day demo for the week of Jan. 1, 2024.

MSNBC saw week-to-week viewer gains after one experiencing one of its lowest-rated weeks in several years. In primetime, the network averaged 881,000 total viewers but just 78,000 viewers from the A25-54 demo during the week of Jan. 1. That’s +33% and +44%, respectively, from what the network drew the week prior. In total day, MSNBC averaged 671,000 total viewers and 62,000 A25-54 viewers for the week of Jan. 1. That’s +25% and +13%, respectively, from what the network averaged the week before.

Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC finished the week ranked No. 4 in total primetime viewers, No. 32 in the primetime demo (tied with sibling NBCU network Oxygen), No. 3 in total day viewers and No. 28 in the total day demo (tied with FXX).

CNN, on the other hand, shed viewers after its highly-rated New Year’s Eve Live broadcast. The network averaged 540,000 total primetime viewers and 107,000 A25-54 viewers in primetime for the week of Jan. 1, 2024. That’s -9% and -30%, respectively, from what the network averaged in those measurements the week prior. In total day, CNN did post week-to-week gains in total viewers (+2%), but shed A25-54 viewers (-11%).

A week after beating Fox News in the primetime demo, CNN dropped to second on cable news in the measurement, and finished No. 24 among all basic cable networks. CNN finished No. 14 in total primetime viewers, No. 5 in total day viewers and No. 14 in the total day demo.

Fox, MSNBC and CNN were all down relative to the opening week of 2023. FNC shed -20% in total primetime viewers, -35% in the primetime demo, -21% in total day viewers and -32% in the total day demo. MSNBC shed -36% in total primetime viewers, -53% in the primetime demo, -29% in total day viewers and -48% in the total day demo. CNN shed -41% in total primetime viewers, -48% in the primetime demo, -38% in total day viewers and -45% in the total day demo vs. House Speaker vote week.

• The Five was the most-watched program in cable news for the week, averaging 2,896,000 viewers and 251,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier secured 2,124,000 viewers and 180,000 with A25-54. The Ingraham Angle at 7 PM/ET drew in 1,996,000 viewers and 177,000 A25-54. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime was the second most-watched program in cable news with viewers, delivering 2,542,000 viewers (236,000 in the 25-54 demo). At 9 PM/ET, Hannity secured 2,207,000 viewers and 215,000 with A25-54. At 10 PM/ET, FNC’s late-night offering Gutfeld! was the second most-watched program with the advertiser coveted 25-54 demo, nabbing 239,000 25-54 demo viewers and 1,932,000 total viewers.
• Notably, Neil Cavuto’s Your World with Neil Cavuto (weekdays, 4 PM/ET) topped its cable competition, easily outpacing CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper and MSNBC’s Deadline: White House.
• FNC’s daytime lineup continued to surpass broadcast programs. Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 1,608,000 P2+), The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 1,583,000 P2+) and America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1,519,000 P2+) outranked ABC’s GMA3 (1,413,000 P2+) and NBC News Daily (1,303,000 P2+). In the mornings, FOX & Friends secured 1,015,000 viewers and 132,000 with A25-54, marking the program’s 150-week winning streak with the younger 25-54 demo.

📺BRODCAST EVENING NEWS

“World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 newscast on all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (8.399 million), Adults 25-54 (1.202 million) and Adults 18-49 (836,000) during the week of Jan. 1, 2024, based on Live + Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research. “World News Tonight” outperformed “NBC Nightly News” (7.208 million, 1.137 million and 771,000, respectively) by 1.191 million Total Viewers, by 65,000 Adults 25-54 and by 65,000 Adults 18-49.

“World News Tonight” improved on the previous week in Total Viewers (+10%/758,000 – 8.399 million vs. 7.641 million), Adults 25-54 (+11%/+121,000 – 1.202 million vs. 1.081 million) and Adults 18-49 (+6%/+49,000 – 836,000 vs. 787,000). In fact, “World News Tonight” posted its strongest Adults 25-54 delivery in 8 months — since w/o 4/24/23.

On Tuesday (1/2/24), “World News Tonight” delivered its most-watched telecast (9.059 million) in nearly 1 year and best Adults 25-54 performance (1.417 million) in 9 months — since 1/31/23 and 3/27/23, respectively.

“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 2 program of the week in Total Viewers (8.399 million) on all of broadcast and cable (excluding sports).

“World News Tonight” is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 5th consecutive season. “World News Tonight” is leading NBC in Adults 25-54 (+49,000 – 1.111 million vs. 1.062 million) and in Adults 18-49 (+45,000 – 768,000 vs. 723,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” is leading “CBS Evening News” (685,000 and 465,000, respectively) by 426,000 Adults 25-54 and by 303,000 Adults 18-49.

For the week, “World News Tonight” (8.399 million, 1.202 million and 836,000, respectively) beat “CBS Evening News” (5.035 million, 702,000 and 500,000, respectively) by 3.364 Total Viewers, by 500,000 Adults 25-54 and by 336,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TELEVISION SHOW RATINGS

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Thursday, January 4, 2024. The audience figures are derived from the latest Nielsen daily, weekly, or monthly P2+ program audience averages, whichever is the most recently available within the past seven-day window.