TV Ratings: Harris Interview Drive Fox To Weekly Win

During the week of October 14 - 20th, FOX News Channel (FNC) led all of cable television with total day viewers for the 41st consecutive week powered by Special Report’s interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC earned 2.6 million viewers and 331,000 in the 25-54 demo, commanding all of cable news with viewers. In total day (6AM-6AM/ET), FNC posted 1.6 million viewers and 209,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

Powered by its exclusive with Vice President Kamala Harris, Special Report saw a 53% increase with viewers and 63% increase with A25-54 compared to same period last year. The interview was the second most-watched telecast in cable TV for the week behind Monday Night Football. Additionally, FNC secured 81 of the top 100 telecasts in cable news.

Looking solely at the news networks, the vice president’s interview did give Fox News a win as it was the only network to post week-to-week gains in both measured categories during primetime and total day. Meanwhile, CNN was the only network to see across the board declines during both dayparts.

Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week of October 14 saw FNC average 2.619 million total viewers and 331,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up in total viewers by +5% and +10% in the A25-54 demo relative to the week prior. 

Fox News averaged 1.630 million total viewers and 209,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing for week-to-week gains of +4% in both measured categories. Among all basic cable networks, Fox News held on to the No. 2 spot behind ESPN in total primetime viewers, and remained in fourth place in the primetime demo.

MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 1.277 million total viewers and 134,000 A25-54 viewers, for gains of +3% in both categories relative to the week prior. Among all basic cable networks, MSNBC dropped from fourth to fifth in total primetime viewers and climbed from 10th to eighth in the demo. During total day, it was the No. 2 network in total viewers and No. 5 position in the demo. 

CNN averaged 622,000 total viewers and 117,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. That translates to week-to-week declines of -19% and -28%, respectively. On the basic cable standings, CNN slid from sixth to seventh place with total viewers in primetime and from No. 9 to No. 11 in the primetime demo.

Fox News occupied 12 of the 15 spots of the most-watched cable news shows of the week in total viewers, with The Five (3.645 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET) remaining in the top spot. MSNBC occupied the remaining spots, with Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace (1.715 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET).

FOX News Channel’s (FNC) Special Report with Bret Baier delivered 7.8 million viewers and 1,126,000 in the 25-54 demo during anchor Bret Baier’s exclusive interview with Vice President Kamala Harris from 6 – 6:30 PM/ET on October 16th. The interview was the highest rated of the Harris-Trump political season and delivered the highest rated non-prime interview in the history of cable news, outrating Harris’s appearances on 60 Minutes, The View, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CNN and MSNBC. Combined with the show’s midnight airing (6-6:30 PM/ET and 12-12:30 AM/ET), Special Report’s interview with Vice President Harris nabbed 9.2 million viewers and 1.4 million in the 25-54 demo, beating ABC’s interview with President Biden before he dropped out of the race (8.5 million viewers).

FNC’s The Faulkner Focus’ women’s issues town hall with former President Donald Trump in Georgia on Wednesday hosted by Harris Faulkner, nabbed 3.1 million viewers and 440,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading the cable news competition combined in its timeslot. This marked the show’s second highest-rated show since launch and surpassed the cable news competition combined across all categories. For the full week, The Faulkner Focus averaged over 2.1 million viewers marking a 24% increase in viewers compared to the prior year.

For the week, The Five averaged 3.6 million viewers and 353,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 3.5 million viewers and 420,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 3 million viewers and 363,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 3.6 million viewers and 477,000 in the 25-54 demo, making it the top show in cable news across in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 3.1 million viewers and 416,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.7 million viewers and 266,000 in the 25-54 demo.

FOX News Channel’s Gutfeld! continued to lead all late-night television across the board. For the week, Gutfeld! averaged 3 million viewers and 415,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2.1 million P2+; 351,000 A25-54) and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.8 million P2+; 340,000 A25-54).

FNC also saw a number of its daytime programs outrank the broadcast competition. Most notably, Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2,120,000 P2+), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2,109,000 P2+), America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1,860,000 P2+), America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1,850,000) and The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 1,750,000 P2+) all outpaced NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna (1,383,000 P2+) and ABC’s GMA3 (1,330,000 P2+).

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 10-14-24 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

“World News Tonight with David Muir” ranked as the No. 1 evening newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.277 million), Adults 25-54 (1.023 million) and Adults 18-49 (704,000) during the week of Oct. 14, 2024, based on Live + Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

• “World News Tonight” outperformed “NBC Nightly News” (5.705 million, 816,000 and 556,000, respectively) by 1.572 million Total Viewers, by 207,000 Adults 25-54 and by 148,000 Adults 18-49, respectively.
• “World News Tonight” increased its lead week to week over “NBC Nightly News” in Total Viewers (+4% – 1.572 million vs. 1.517 million), Adults 25-54 (+36% – 207,000 vs. 152,000) and Adults 18-49 (+4% – 148,000 vs. 142,000), posting its largest key news demo advantage in 7 weeks — since w/o 8/26/24.
• “World News Tonight” is ranking No. 1 in Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49 for the 6th straight season. “World News Tonight” (1.067 million and 737,000, respectively) is leading NBC (880,000 and 579,000, respectively), increasing its margins from the same point last season by triple digits in Adults 25-54 (+217% – 187,000 vs. 56,000) and Adults 18-49 (+163% – 158,000 vs. 60,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” is leading “CBS Evening News” (656,000 and 443,000, respectively) by 411,000 Adults 25-54 and by 294,000 Adults 18-49.

• For the week, “World News Tonight” (7.277 million, 1.023 million and 704,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Evening News” (4.410 million, 686,000 and 442,000, respectively) by 2.867 million Total Viewers, by 337,000 Adults 25-54 and by 262,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TV SHOW RATINGS RANKER

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Monday, October 21, 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.