TV Ratings: Fox News Channel Wins Total Day, Primetime

The South Carolina primary propelled Fox News to be the most-watched cable network in total day and primetime for the sixth consecutive week. Meanwhile, MSNBC, unfortunately, was the only network to record week-to-week declines in primetime and total day.

TV Newser reports the Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week of Feb. 19 gives Fox News another win. Not only was it boosted by the South Carolina primary, but Tuesday’s Donald Trump town hall moderated by Laura Ingraham also saw positive returns as The Ingraham Angle had its highest-rated show since moving to the 7 p.m. ET slot in July 2023. Tuesday’s show netted 3.3 million total viewers and 358,000 in the Adults 25-54 demo.

In primetime, FNC averaged 2.100 million total viewers and 236,000 A25-54 viewers. The network was flat in total viewers but saw a +2% gain in the A25-54 demo, relative to the week prior (week beginning Feb. 12). In total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.342 million total viewers and 159,000 A25-54 viewers, which translated to a -3% drop in both categories from what Fox News averaged in those measurements the week prior.

Among all basic cable networks, Fox News maintained its No. 1 position in total primetime viewers and No. 4 in the primetime demo. In total day, the network was the only cable network to cross one million total viewers in total day, holding its No. 1 position, while it jumped up from No. 3 to No. 2 in the total day demo for the week of Feb. 19, 2024.

MSNBC in primetime averaged 1.326 million total viewers and 120,000 viewers from the A25-54 demo for the week of Feb. 19. It had a -9% drop in total viewers and a double-digit drop of -14% in the A25-54 demo from what the network averaged the week prior.   CNN averaged 623,000 total primetime viewers and 129,000 A25-54 viewers in primetime for the week of Feb. 19. The news net had a drop of -8% and a gain of +3% in total viewers and A25-54, respectively, compared to the prior week.

Fox had 10 out of the 15 most-watched cable news shows of the week, led once again by The Five (3.004 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET). MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell at 10 p.m. ET was the most-watched non-Fox cable news show of the week, coming in at No. 7 with an average of 1.678 million viewers. MSNBC had four of its shows in the top 15 of most-watched cable news shows.

📺BROADCAST NETWORK EVENING NEWS

“World News Tonight with David Muir” stood as the No. 1 program of the week for the 2nd week in a row in Total Viewers (7.792 million) on all of broadcast and cable during the week of Feb. 19, 2024, based on Live + Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

“World News Tonight” ranked as the No. 1 newscast on all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.792 million), Adults 25-54 (1.054 million) and Adults 18-49 (691,000), only the second week this season not impacted by sports. “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (6.562 million, 937,000 and 605,000, respectively) by 1.230 million Total Viewers, by 117,000 Adults 25-54 and by 86,000 Adults 18-49.

“World News Tonight” has won the last 273 of 274 weeks in Total Viewers and 201 of the last 204 in Adults 25-54.

Season to date, “World News Tonight” (8.070 million) is ranking No. 1 in Total Viewers for the 8th straight year, based on Most Current Data. “World News Tonight” is leading “NBC Nightly News” (6.896 million) by 1.174 million and “CBS Evening News” (4.939 million) by 3.131 million.

For the week, “World News Tonight” (7.792 million, 1.054 million and 691,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Evening News” (4.806 million, 668,000 and 463,000, respectively) by 2.986 Total Viewers, by 386,000 Adults 25-54 and by 228,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TV SHOW RATINGS RANKER

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Friday, February 23, 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.