TV Ratings: Cable News Rebounds

After a sleepy post-Labor Day week, the big three cable networks saw double digit week-to-week and year-to-year gains courtesy of the Sept. 10 match-up between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. That ABC News-hosted debate attracted over 67 million viewers across 17 outlets, including broadcast, cable and digital platforms.

Fox News saw the biggest viewership during Debate Week, but the biggest gains were posted by MSNBC and CNN, with the former network finishing in the No. 2 spot in every measured category except the primetime Adults 25-54 demo. As of now, Harris and Trump are unlikely to share a debate stage again, but a rematch would almost certainly continue to lift all boats.

According to TV Newser citing Nielsen live plus same-day data, Fox News saw its primetime viewership rise to 3.145 million total viewers and 470,000 A25-54 viewers for week-to-week gains of +41% and +70% in both of those categories. Total day numbers were 1.576 million viewers in the former category and 229,000 in the latter for bumps of +16% and +30%, respectively. On Debate Night, FNC finished first among cable outlets with both total viewers and the demo.

On the basic cable charts, Fox News held onto the top spot among total primetime viewers and stayed second in the primetime demo. It repeated in both of those positions across total day.

MSNBC enjoyed the biggest week-to-week primetime gains with an audience of 2.088 million total viewers and 284,000 A54-54—a massive +88% and +154% rise over last week. That  powered the network into the No. 2 spot among all basic cable outlets with total viewers across both dayparts. Demo was a slightly different story as MSNBC finished fourth in primetime behind CNN and ranked third in total day.

CNN’s biggest success story came in the primetime demo, with 303,000 A25-54 viewers tuning in for a +146% gain over last week. Among total primetime viewers, the network—which hosted the June 27 debate between Trump and President Joe Biden that directly led to Harris taking over the ticket—approached the 2 million mark with 1.190 million total viewers for an 80% week-to-week gain. Notable: For the second week in a row, the network was right on the heels of MSNBC in the total day demo with only 1,000 viewers separating them.

While it snuck past MSNBC into the No. 3 spot on the basic cable charts for primetime demo viewers, CNN otherwise had to content itself with fourth-place finishes in primetime total viewers and the total day demo. It ranked third behind its rivals with total viewers across total day.

Over on the Top 15 list of most-watched programs in the demo, FNC improved its standing to 10 slots with Hannity (452,000 viewers at 9 p.m.) leading the way. CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 (273,000 viewers at 8 p.m.) was No. 8, while an average of MSNBC’s All in With Chris Hayes and Inside with Jen Psaki (219,000 viewers at 8 p.m.) ranked in 10th place. CNN had two shows in the Top 15 overall, while MSNBC had three.

During the week of September 9-15, FOX News Channel (FNC) once again led cable television across primetime and total day during the week of the presidential debate. FNC’s simulcast of the ABC’s Presidential Debate led all of cable news and topped CBS. In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC earned 3.1 million viewers and 470,000 in the 25-54 demo, commanding all of cable with viewers. In total day (6AM-6AM/ET), FNC posted 1.6 million viewers and 229,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC saw double-digit week-over-week increases across all categories. On Sunday during breaking news coverage of the assassination attempt against former President Trump, FNC led CNN and MSNBC combined across primetime and total day.

During the debate from 9-10:45 PM/ET on Tuesday, FNC averaged 9.1 million viewers and 1.9 million in A25-54, topping CBS and all of cable news. FOX Business Network delivered 295,000 and 62,000 in A25-54, FOX Network garnered 4.8 million viewers and 1.9 million in the A25-54 demographic and FOX News Media’s digital and streaming platforms drew an audience of 165,000. FNC’s special FOX News Democracy 2024 pre-debate coverage from 8:15-9 PM/ET with Bret Baier, Martha MacCallum, Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity was the most-watched in all of television with 5.6 million viewers and 1 million in A25-54. 

For the week, The Five averaged 3.3 million viewers and 374,000 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 2.4 million viewers and 300,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 2.5 million viewers and 312,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 3.2 million viewers and 371,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 3 million viewers and 452,000 with A25-54, making it the top cable news show in the demo. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.6 million viewers and 287,000 in the 25-54 demo.

FOX News Channel’s Gutfeld! was the highest-rated program in late-night television for the week. Gutfeld! averaged 2.6 million viewers and 334,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2,152,000 P2+), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,720,000 P2+) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,161,000 P2+).

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 9-9-24 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. 

📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS

ABC's David Muir, CBS' Norah O'Donnell, NBC's Lester Holt

“World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 newscast on all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (6.933 million), Adults 25-54 (967,000) and Adults 18-49 (636,000) during the week of Sept. 9, 2024, based on Live + Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

“World News Tonight” was up over the previous week in Adults 25-54 (+6%/+52,000 – 967,000 vs. 915,000) and Adults 18-49 (+3%/+18,000 – 636,000 vs. 618,000).

“World News Tonight” increased its lead over “NBC Nightly News” versus the previous week in Adults 25-54 (+23% – 86,000 vs. 70,000).

Season to date, “World News Tonight” (7.726 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” (6.454 million) by 1.272 million and “CBS Evening News” (4.654 million) by 3.072 million.

“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 (+116,000 – 1.074 million vs. 958,000) and in Adults 18-49 (+82,000 – 732,000 vs. 650,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” is leading “CBS Evening News” (665,000 and 450,000, respectively) by 116,000 Adults 25-54 and by 282,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TV SHOW RATINGS RANKING

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Monday, September 16, 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.