The Five solidified its position as the undisputed king of cable news in 2025, marking its fourth consecutive year as the most-watched program in the genre and delivering its highest ratings ever in a non-election year.
The show averaged 4.1 million total viewers across the full year, with approximately 382,000 viewers in the key Adults 25-54 demographic (Nielsen data). This performance not only dominated cable news rivals but frequently outperformed broadcast network programs in the 5 p.m. ET slot, beating shows like CBS's Hollywood Squares and The Neighborhood or ABC's Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Ratings and Popularity
"The Five" has consistently ranked among the top cable news programs, becoming the most-watched non-primetime show by 2022 with averages of 3.3–3.5 million viewers. It hit a peak of 5.5 million viewers on July 15, 2024, amid major events like the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. By Q1 2024, it averaged 3.04 million, marking it as the first non-primetime show to lead cable for ten consecutive quarters.
Its growth—up 97% since 2011—stems from a lighter cultural focus post-Trump era and strong advertiser appeal, adding over 200 new ones in 2020. In 2023, it topped cable news for the second year with 2.9 million average viewers, even after network shake-ups like Carlson's firing.
Consistent post-summer strength
The show's non-primetime slot (5 p.m. ET) makes its viewership particularly impressive, as it routinely outdrew primetime competitors on MSNBC and CNN while contributing heavily to Fox News's overall primetime average of 2.72 million viewers (up 14% from 2024).
Notable change: Jeanine Pirro departed in May 2025 after being appointed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia by President Trump.
Why It Succeeds
The Five thrives on its unique positioning: a pre-primetime "happy hour" of news commentary that's entertaining yet informative. In a fragmented media landscape, its consistent outperformance (capturing a significant share of Fox's audience) underscores viewer loyalty to personality-driven content. It also benefits from Fox News's broader dominance, holding 64% of cable news viewership in 2025.
Critics note occasional viewer backlash to certain panelists (e.g., complaints about liberal voices), but overall, the mix keeps debates engaging and ratings sky-high. As Fox News's flagship daytime-to-primetime bridge, The Five played a pivotal role in the network's record non-election year.