TV Ratings: NFL Football, Fox News Dominate

During the week before the election, October 28 - November 3, FOX News Channel (FNC) was the number one network with primetime and total day viewers, beating out the football focused sports networks across all dayparts.

FNC was also the most-watched network in cable news combined across both primetime and total day. In primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC earned 2.7 million viewers and 350,000 in the 25-54 demo, commanding all of cable news across the board. In total day (6AM-6AM/ET), FNC posted 1.7 million viewers and 226,000 in the 25-54 demo. Notably, all of FNC’s daytime programs led NBA coverage on TNT (1.1 million P2+) and ESPN (1 million P2+) for the week.

MSNBC was the week’s clear winner registering as the only network to see week-to-week gains during both dayparts in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demo. Meanwhile, both Fox News and CNN lost viewers in primetime in both measured categories, but saw gains during total day.

TV Newser reports Nielsen live plus same-day data for the week saw FNC average 2.746 million total viewers and 350,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was down in total viewers by -1% and -4% in the demo rrelative to the week prior (the week beginning October 21).

Fox News averaged 1.703 million total viewers and 226,000 A25-54 viewers in total day viewing for gains of +2% and +7%, respectively. Among all basic cable networks, FNC remained No. 1 in total primetime viewers and jumped one spot to second place in the primetime demo.

MSNBC’s primetime lineup averaged 1.418 million total viewers and 162,000 A25-54 viewers for gains of +9% and +5%, respectively. On the basic cable charts, MSNBC was stuck in third place in total primetime viewers and moved from seventh to fifth in the demo. During total day, it was the No. 2 network in total viewers and jumped two spots from No. 6 to No. 4 in the demo.

In primetime, CNN averaged 797,000 total viewers and 181,000 A25-54 viewers for drops of -17% and -9%, respectively. CNN slid from fourth to fifth place in total primetime viewers, but performed better in the demo with a fourth place finish. The network also remained fourth in total day total viewers and climbed up one spot to third place in total day demo.

Fox News held 12 of the 15 spots for most-watched cable news shows of the week, with The Five (3.812 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET) remaining No. 1. MSNBC occupied the remaining spots, with Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace (1.848 million viewers at 5 p.m. ET) landing at No. 10.

• For the week, The Five averaged 3.8 million viewers and 379,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 2.9 million viewers and 343,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 3 million viewers and 360,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 3.5 million viewers and 434,000 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 2.9 million viewers and 365,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.7 million viewers and 256,000 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 391,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2 million P2+; 344,000 A25-54), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.6 million P2+; 277,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show (1.1 million P2+; 261,000 A25-54).
• FNC also saw a number of its daytime programs outrank the broadcast competition. Most notably, Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2,241,000 P2+), Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2,090,000 P2+), America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1,980,000 P2+), America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1,837,000) and The Story with Martha MacCallum (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 1,782,000 P2+) all outpaced ABC’s GMA3 (1,342,000 P2+), NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna (1,287,000 P2+) and CBS’ The Talk (1,181,000 P2+).
• On Saturday, One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Saturday, 9 PM/ET) was the most-watched show of the day with 1,671,000 million viewers and 162,000 in the 25-54 demo. Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) followed with 1,666,000 viewers and 158,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Big Weekend Show (weekends, 7 PM/ET) averaged 1.6 million viewers and 184,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla (Saturday, 10 PM/ET) nabbed 1.4 million viewers and 193,000 in the 25-54 demo.
• On Sunday, FNC aired the majority of its weekday lineup in advance of the election. Jesse Watters Primetime was the top show of the day across the board with 2.6 million viewers and 377,000 in the 25-54 demo. Hannity followed with 2.2 million viewers and 306,000 in the 25-54 demo. America’s Newsroom nabbed 1.8 million viewers and 263,000 in the 25-54 demo.

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 10-28-24 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” stood as the No. 1 evening newscast in all of broadcast and cable in Total Viewers (7.247 million), Adults 25-54 (1.015 million) and Adults 18-49 (687,000) during  the week of Oct. 28, 2024, based on Live + Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research. “World News Tonight” outdelivered “NBC Nightly News” (5.708 million, 787,000 and 507,000, respectively) by 1.539 million Total Viewers, by 228,000 Adults 25-54 and by 180,000 Adults 18-49.

• “World News Tonight” widened its margins versus the previous week over “NBC Nightly News” in Total Viewers (+4% – 1.539 million vs. 1.479 million), Adults 25-54 (+68% – 228,000 vs. 136,000) and Adults 18-49 (+65% – 180,000 vs. 109,000), delivering its largest news demos lead in 2 months — since w/o 8/26/24.
• “World News Tonight” increased its lead on the same week last year over “NBC Nightly News” in Total Viewers (+64% – 1.539 million vs. 937,000), Adults 25-54 (+239% – 228,000 vs. 58,000) and Adults 18-49 (+900% – 180,000 vs. 18,000).
• “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 732,000, respectively) is leading NBC (870,000 and 569,000, respectively), increasing its margins from the same point last season by triple digits in Adults 25-54 (+328% – 197,000 vs. 46,000) and Adults 18-49 (+254% – 163,000 vs. 46,000). In addition, “World News Tonight” is leading “CBS Evening News” (656,000 and 444,000, respectively) by 411,000 Adults 25-54 and by 288,000 Adults 18-49.

• For the week, “World News Tonight” (7.247 million, 1.015 million and 687,000, respectively) defeated “CBS Evening News” (4.317 million, 696,000 and 475,000, respectively) by 2.784 million Total Viewers, by 319,000 Adults 25-54 and by 212,000 Adults 18-49.

📺TELEVISION SHOW RATINGS RANKER

Ranking is based on ratings data as of Friday, November 1, 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.