TV Ratings: Despite Hoops, Fox News Channel Beats All Cable

During the week of March 17-23, FOX News Channel’s (FNC) The Five marked the 18th consecutive week commanding more than four million viewers. 

In total day (6 AM-6 AM/ET), FNC posted 1.8 million viewers and 221,000 in the 25-54 demo. In primetime (8 PM-11 PM/ET, FNC averaged 2.9 million viewers and 345,000 in the 25-54 demo. Additionally, FNC outpaced TBS (1.6 million primetime viewers, 585,000 total day viewers) and TNT (1.5 million primetime viewers and 499,000 total day viewers) with primetime and total day viewers for the week despite their airings of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. 

Ratings Graphics Courtesy of RoadMN

Special Report dominated the broadcast networks on Tuesday during coverage of the astronauts’ return to earth, which broke in for special coverage beginning at 5:50 PM/ET, leading CBS (1.8 million viewers), ABC (1.8 million viewers and NBC (1.1 million viewers) and also beating the CBS Evening News that night head to head from 6:30-7PM. 

FOX News has now garnered the top 861 cable news telecasts since the election. For the week, The Five averaged 4 million viewers and 425,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading cable news with total viewers.

At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 3.5 million viewers and 377,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 3.4 million viewers and 377,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. At 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime delivered 3.8 million viewers and 455,000 in the 25-54 demo, which led cable news with younger viewers. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 3.3 million viewers and 426,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night secured 1.7 million viewers and 239,000 in the 25-54 demo.

At 10 PM/ET, FNC’s late-night offering Gutfeld! secured 3.2 million viewers and 421,000 with A25-54. Gutfeld! once again topped the broadcast competition including ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,578,000 P2+; 223,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,147,000 P2+; 280,000 A25-54). 

FNC continued to see a number of its daytime programs outpace the broadcast competition. Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 2,247,000 viewers), Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 2,187,000 viewers), The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2,160,000 viewers), America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 2,121,000 viewers) and America Reports (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 2,034,000 viewers) all led CBS Mornings (2,007,000 viewers), NBC’s Today Third Hour (1,859,000 viewers), ABC’s GMA3 (1,364,000 viewers), NBC’s Today with Jenna & Friends (1,229,00 viewers) and NBC News Daily (1,083,000 viewers) with viewers. 

On Saturday: FOX News Live (Saturday, 10 AM - 2 PM/ET) was the most-watched show of the day with 1.6 million viewers and 181,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Big Weekend Show (weekends, 6-8 PM/ET) followed with 1.5 million viewers and 178,000 in the 25-54 demo. In primetime, Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) took 1.5 million viewers. At 9 PM/ET, My View with Lara Trump posted 1.5 million viewers and 143,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures was the top show of the weekend with 2.1 million viewers and 249,000 in the 25-54 demo. Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) was the number one show in primetime with 1.8 million viewers and 179,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 10 PM/ET, One Nation with Brian Kilmeade commanded 1.5 million viewers and 183,000 in the 25-54 demo.

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Week of 3-17-25 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 (7.565 million), Adults 25-54 (1.035 million) and Adults 18-49 (696,000) during the week of March 17, 2025, based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research. “World News Tonight” outperformed “NBC Nightly News” (6.103 million, 860,000 and 545,000, respectively) by462 million Total Viewers, by 175,000 Adults 25-54 and by 151,000 Adults 18-49.

• “World News Tonight” increased its margins over “NBC Nightly News” versus the previous week in Total Viewers (+6% – 1.462 million vs. 1.378 million), Adults 25-54 (+38% – 175,000 vs. 127,000) and Adults 18-49(+22% – 151,000 vs. 124,000).
• “World News Tonight” widened its advantage on the same week last year over “NBC Nightly News” in Total Viewers (+5% – 1.462 million vs. 1.363 million) and Adults 18-49 (+13% – 151,000 vs. 134,000).

• “World News Tonight” improved on the previous week in Total Viewers (+1%/+73,000 – 7.565 million vs. 7.532 million) and Adults 25-54 (+1%/+12,000 – 1.035 million vs. 1.023 million).
• NBC's Nightly News with Lester Holt was the #5 most-watched show of the week with 6.103 million total viewers, excluding specials, sports & syndication.
• Nightly News Averages 545,000 A18-49 viewers, beating CBS by +124,000 (+30%)
• Increases A18-49 audience by +22,000 vs. last year
• Across digital, Nightly News delivered 14.4 million video viewers and 1.5 million hours viewed on & off network platforms

📺BROADCAST MORNING NEWS

For the first time in seven years, TODAY is the top-rated morning show across the board in total viewers, A25-54 and A18-49 season-to-date. For 84 weeks straight, NBC News’ TODAY was the number-one morning show in the key demo A25-54. Additionally, TODAY grew its demo lead over GMA versus the prior year and topped GMA in total viewers last Tuesday and Wednesday.

TODAY is now leading in total viewers by its widest margin in 7 seasons and is posting its biggest key demo lead in eight seasons versus GMA.

📺TV SHOW RANKER