FOX News Channel Tops Cable with Total Day Viewers During DNC

During the week of August 19-25, FOX News Channel (FNC) once again led all of cable television with total day viewers. 

• In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC earned 2.2 million viewers and 285,000 in the 25-54 demo. 
• In total day (6AM-6AM/ET), FNC posted 1.5 million viewers and 199,000 in the 25-54 demo leading all of cable television. 

FOX News Channel (FNC) remains the most watched network for convention coverage to date, outpacing CNN and MSNBC with the average audience during the Republican National Convention (RNC) and the Democratic National Convention (DNC). 

In primetime from 8 – 11 PM/ET, FNC netted 4.5 million viewers and 731,000 in the 25-54 demo, as CNN saw 2.3 million viewers and 614,000 in the 25-54 demo. MSNBC drew 3.2 viewers and 516,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

Additionally, FNC is dominant among the broadcast networks (CBS, NBC and ABC) for combined convention coverage. Following the Democratic National Convention’s final day, CNN and MSNBC’s respective DNC primetime programming on Friday saw major viewership drop off. Across the three hour period, CNN posted a 77% decrease in its total viewership and an 85% drop off in its viewership among the 25-54 demo while MSNBC saw 70% fewer total viewers and 75% fewer 25-54 demo viewers.

• For the week, The Five averaged 3.2 million viewers and 344,000 in the 25-54 demo, making it the most-watched show of the week with viewers. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 2.2 million viewers and 258,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 2.3 million viewers and 289,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 2.7 million viewers and 359,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 2.5 million viewers and 354,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.4 million viewers and 188,000 in the 25-54 demo.
• FOX News Channel’s Gutfeld! was the highest-rated program in late-night television for the week after it broadcasted live following coverage of the DNC. Gutfeld! averaged 1.8 million viewers and 292,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (1,620,000 P2+; 287,000 A25-54) and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (799,000 P2+; 170,000 A25-54) NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (731,000 P2+; 189,000 A25-54) across the board.
• FNC also saw a number of its daytime programs outrank the broadcast competition. Most notably, The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 1,956,000 P2+), America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1,777,000), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 1,730,000 P2+), America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1,630,000 P2+) and Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 1,599,000 P2+) all outpaced NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna (1,344,000 P2+) and ABC’s GMA3 (1,209,000 P2+).
• On Saturday, Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) was the most-watched show of the day with 1,566,000 viewers, while Cavuto Live (weekends, 10 AM - 12 PM/ET) was most-watched in the 25-54 demo with 211,000 viewers. The Big Weekend Show (weekdays, 7 PM/ET) posted 1.4 million viewers (125,000 A25-54), and FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla (Saturday, 10 PM/ET) posted over 1 million viewers and 126,000 in the 25-54 demo leading the competition combined.
• On Sunday, Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) was once again the most-watched show of the day with 1.7 million viewers, while Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) topped the 25-54 demo with 181,000 viewers. At 9 PM/ET, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy averaged over 1.6 million viewers.

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 8-19-24 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54, P18-49. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.