FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the week of November 17 continuing to pace second in all of television with weekday primetime in 2025, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Year-to-date in weekday primetime, FNC (3,222,000 viewers) leads CBS (3,168,000 viewers) and NBC (3,062,000 viewers).
In Monday - Sunday primetime FNC nabbed 2.1 million viewers and 189,000 in the 25-54 demo. Across total day (6 AM-6 AM/ET), FNC posted 1.4 million viewers and 122,000 in the 25-54 demo. For the week, FNC commanded 88 of the top 100 cable news telecasts.
The Five averaged 3.7 million viewers and 298,000 in the 25-54 demo, leading cable news across the board. At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier drew 2.7 million viewers and 242,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Ingraham Angle saw 2.4 million viewers and 197,000 in the 25-54 demo at 7 PM/ET. Jesse Watters Primetime commanded 2.9 million viewers and 264,000 in the 25-54 demo at 8 PM/ET. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity posted 2.2 million viewers and 186,000 with A25-54. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher secured 1.3 million viewers.
FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) averaged 2.5 million viewers and 267,000 in the 25-54 demo continuing to outpace the broadcast competition including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2 million viewers), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.8 million viewers), and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (938,000 viewers).
FNC continued to see its daytime programs outpace the broadcast competition. The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2.1 million viewers) led NBC’s Today Third Hour (2 million viewers). The Story (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 1.8 million viewers) The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 1.8 million viewers), America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1.7 million viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 1.7 million viewers) and America Reports (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1.7 million viewers) all led ABC’s GMA3 (1.4 million viewers), NBC’s Today with Jenna and Friends (1.3 million viewers) and NBC News Daily (1.3 million viewers).
On Saturday: Kayleigh McEnany’s Saturday in America (Saturday, 10 AM - 12 PM/ET) was the most-watched cable news show of the day with 1.3 million viewers. FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) followed with 1.2 million viewers. In primetime, My View with Lara Trump (Saturday, 9 PM/ET) was the top cable news show with 1.1 million viewers.
On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) was the number one cable news show of the weekend with 1.3 million viewers. In primetime, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) led the way with 1.1 million viewers. The Sunday Briefing (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) hosted by Jacqui Heinrich drew 1.1 million viewers.
Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 11-17-25 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.
FNC’s late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) averaged 2.5 million viewers and 267,000 in the 25-54 demo continuing to outpace the broadcast competition including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2 million viewers), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.8 million viewers), and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (938,000 viewers).
FNC continued to see its daytime programs outpace the broadcast competition. The Will Cain Show (weekdays, 4 PM/ET; 2.1 million viewers) led NBC’s Today Third Hour (2 million viewers). The Story (weekdays, 3 PM/ET; 1.8 million viewers) The Faulkner Focus (weekdays, 11 AM/ET; 1.8 million viewers), America’s Newsroom (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET; 1.7 million viewers), Outnumbered (weekdays, 12 PM/ET; 1.7 million viewers) and America Reports (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET; 1.7 million viewers) all led ABC’s GMA3 (1.4 million viewers), NBC’s Today with Jenna and Friends (1.3 million viewers) and NBC News Daily (1.3 million viewers).
On Saturday: Kayleigh McEnany’s Saturday in America (Saturday, 10 AM - 12 PM/ET) was the most-watched cable news show of the day with 1.3 million viewers. FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) followed with 1.2 million viewers. In primetime, My View with Lara Trump (Saturday, 9 PM/ET) was the top cable news show with 1.1 million viewers.
On Sunday: Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures (Sunday, 10 AM/ET) was the number one cable news show of the weekend with 1.3 million viewers. In primetime, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) led the way with 1.1 million viewers. The Sunday Briefing (Sunday, 11 AM/ET) hosted by Jacqui Heinrich drew 1.1 million viewers.
Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 11-17-25 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.
📺BROADCAST EVENING NEWS
This period benefited from full distribution following the resolution of the Disney-YouTube TV carriage dispute, allowing ABC's program to post gains. NBC's Nightly News with Tom Llamas held second place, narrowing its demo gap with ABC to its closest in six years, while CBS's Evening News with John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois remained in third.
Ratings are based on Nielsen's national live + same-day big data plus program averages. Note: ABC's Monday broadcast (November 17) was retitled due to NFL coverage and excluded from weekly averages, so figures reflect Tuesday–Friday data.
Key Insights
ABC's World News Tonight: The program delivered its highest weekly demo performance since July 2025, outperforming NBC by 23% in total viewers (1.499 million margin) and 15% in the demo (131,000 margin). It also led CBS by 92% in total viewers and 88% in the demo. Year-over-year, it was up 2% in total viewers but down 10% in the demo. Season-to-date (through November 23), it remains the #1 newscast for the 10th straight year, averaging 7.636 million total viewers.
NBC's Nightly News: Despite week-over-week declines, the show achieved its best A18-49 performance against ABC in six years (594,000 viewers, up 3% week-over-week). It narrowed the A25-54 gap with ABC by 33% and the total viewer gap by 16% compared to the prior year. The broadcast ranked among the top five most-watched TV shows overall for the week.
CBS's Evening News: The program saw minimal movement but continued to trail significantly, down 12% in total viewers and 20% in the demo year-over-year—the only newscast to decline in both metrics annually. Season-to-date, it averages 3.941 million total viewers.
📺BROADCAST MORNING SHOWS
NBC's Today: Anchored by Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, the show continues its dominance, widening its lead over GMA to the biggest total viewer advantage in 14 years (24,000 viewers). It outperformed GMA by 1% in total viewers and 5% in the demo. Year-over-year, Today was up 2% in total viewers but down 7% in the demo compared to the same week in 2024.
ABC's Good Morning America: Hosted by Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan, GMA narrowed the gap with Today thanks to its upward trend. It beat CBS Mornings by 57% in total viewers and 72% in the demo. Year-over-year, it was up 1% in total viewers but down 4% in the demo.
CBS's CBS Mornings: Led by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and Nate Burleson, the show trails significantly but remains steady in its third-place position. It was down 13% in total viewers and 30% in the demo year-over-year from November 2024.These figures reflect a broader industry trend of declining linear TV viewership, but morning shows like these still draw strong audiences due to their mix of news, lifestyle, and entertainment content. For context, Today delivered its largest weekly audience in nearly a year, boosted by holiday-adjacent programming leading into Thanksgiving. Season-to-date (through late November 2025), Today leads overall, with GMA close behind in total viewers.
📺TV SHOWS RATINGS RANKER
The week of November 17–25, 2025 (Nielsen tracking period: Monday, November 17, to Sunday, November 23), was dominated by sports programming on broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox), with NFL games leading the pack due to high-stakes matchups and holiday buildup. Unscripted reality and competition shows filled out the rest of the top 10, reflecting strong performance for established franchises amid a backdrop of declining scripted viewership.
Ratings are based on Nielsen's national live + same-day averages for persons 2+ (total viewers in millions), focusing on primetime telecasts. Sports and specials often inflate numbers, but entertainment series like Dancing with the Stars and Survivor held firm. Note: This list excludes cable, syndication, and streaming; broadcast-only.
Key Insights
Sports Dominance: NFL games claimed four spots, accounting for over 75 million total viewers combined. CBS led broadcast networks with 42% share during primetime, thanks to Thanksgiving coverage. This aligns with seasonal trends, where football viewership spikes 15–20% in late November.
Unscripted Strength: CBS's reality slate (Survivor, The Amazing Race) averaged 5.0M viewers, outperforming scripted dramas like NCIS: Origins (3.8M, #12). ABC's Dancing with the Stars was the top entertainment program, benefiting from post-NFL lead-ins.
Challenges for Scripted: No scripted series cracked the top 10, with Tracker (CBS, 6.2M average) and The Golden Girls 40th Anniversary Special (ABC, 3.9M) just missing out. Overall broadcast primetime viewership was down 4% year-over-year, attributed to streaming migration.
Demo Notes: In Adults 18–49, Survivor (0.9) and Dancing with the Stars (0.8) topped the list, crucial for ad revenue. NFL games skewed older but still hit 2.5+ in the demo for key matchups.
Season Context: Through November 23, CBS holds the #1 network spot (5.8M average primetime viewers), followed by NBC (4.9M) and ABC (4.7M). Fox trails at 3.2M, buoyed by sports.
Season Context: Through November 23, CBS holds the #1 network spot (5.8M average primetime viewers), followed by NBC (4.9M) and ABC (4.7M). Fox trails at 3.2M, buoyed by sports.
Ranking is based on ratings data as of Monday, November 24, 2025. 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. Please note that some shows may not appear in the ranking probably because there are no ratings data for them within the stipulated period.