Key Takeaways:
- FNC Surpasses CBS in Weekday Primetime Year-to-Date, Quarter-to-Date and Memorial Day-to-Date
- CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ Season Premiere Sees More Than 20% Decline in Viewership, Least-Viewed Debut Since 2000
- Norah O’Donnell’s Season Debut on ‘CBS Mornings’ Delivers Under 1.7 Million Viewers
FOX News Channel (FNC) concluded the week of September 7th with 2.1 million weekday primetime viewers and 206,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo, outperforming CBS (1.8 million viewers), according to Nielsen Media Research Big Data + Panel.
Notably, the season premiere of 60 Minutes on Sunday saw more than a 20% decline in viewership from last year, posting 7.9 million total viewers and marking its least-viewed premiere since at least the year 2000. Additionally, Norah O’Donnell’s return to CBS Mornings delivered 1.6M total viewers and 247,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo – marking a 4% decline in total viewers and an 8% decline in the 25-54 demo year-to-date. O’Donnell’s debut on September 8th was also the lowest-rated episode of the week, posting 239,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo. FOX & Friends continues to make gains on the broadcast morning show, averaging 1.5 million viewers year-to-date in the head-to-head 7-9AM/ET timeslot.
FNC’s Gutfeld! (10 PM/ET) once again dominated the late-night landscape, claiming nearly 2.2 million total viewers, outranking ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2.1 million viewers) and the airings of CBS' Comics Unleashed (636,000 viewers).
FNC’s daytime programs continued to outpace the broadcast competition. The Will Cain Show (4 PM/ET) garnered over 1.6 million viewers, outranking NBC News Daily (1.6 million viewers). Outnumbered (12-1PM/ET), America’s Newsroom (9-11 AM/ET) and The Faulkner Focus (11 AM-12 PM/ET) each nabbed 1.5 million viewers, and both The Story with Martha MacCallum (3 PM/ET) and America Reports (1-3 PM/ET) notched 1.4 million viewers, all surpassing NBC’s Today with Jenna & Sheinelle and ABC’s GMA3, which both posted under 1.4 million viewers.
On Saturday: Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany led the weekend with 1.3 million viewers. FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10AM/ET) followed in second, drawing 952,000 viewers. The Big Weekend Show (5-8 PM/ET) co-hosted by Tomi Lahren and Johnny Joey Jones claimed 904,000 viewers. In primetime, Life, Liberty, & Levin (8 PM/ET) and FOX News Saturday Night (10-11 PM/ET) hosted by Jimmy Failla both posted 886,000 viewers. My View with Lara Trump (9 PM/ET) secured 914,000 viewers.
On Sunday: FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10AM/ET) nabbed 931,000 viewers. Sunday Morning Futures (10 AM/ET) had one million viewers and The Sunday Briefing (11 AM/ET), anchored this week by Jacqui Heinrich, saw 974,000 million viewers. FOX News Live (12-2 PM/ET), hosted by chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel, averaged 816,000 viewers. The Big Weekend Show (5-8 PM/ET), co-hosted by Tomi Lahren and Johnny Joey Jones, posted 747,000 viewers. In primetime, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (9 PM/ET) claimed 967,000 viewers. Life, Liberty, & Levin notched 904,000 viewers and One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (10 PM/ET) garnered 710,000 viewers.
Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 9-7-26 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday - Sunday programming and Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages excludes specials and repeats and weekend cable news programs includes specials.
To date (09/13/26), FNC has surpassed CBS in weekday primetime viewers for the year (12/29/25), quarter (06/29/26) and since Memorial Day (05/25/26). The network saw 2.8 million viewers year-to-date, 2.5 million viewers quarter-to-date and 2.5 million viewers since Memorial Day, while CBS only posted 2.7 million viewers year-to-date and 2 million viewers both quarter-to-date and Memorial Day to date. In Monday – Sunday primetime, FNC secured 1.8 million viewers and in Monday – Sunday total day, FNC delivered over 1.1 million viewers.
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| Ratings Graphic Courtesy of RoadMN |
Notably, the season premiere of 60 Minutes on Sunday saw more than a 20% decline in viewership from last year, posting 7.9 million total viewers and marking its least-viewed premiere since at least the year 2000. Additionally, Norah O’Donnell’s return to CBS Mornings delivered 1.6M total viewers and 247,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo – marking a 4% decline in total viewers and an 8% decline in the 25-54 demo year-to-date. O’Donnell’s debut on September 8th was also the lowest-rated episode of the week, posting 239,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo. FOX & Friends continues to make gains on the broadcast morning show, averaging 1.5 million viewers year-to-date in the head-to-head 7-9AM/ET timeslot.
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| Ratings Graphics courtesy of RoadMN |
The Five led cable news with total viewers, notching 2.8 million viewers and 279,000 in the 25-54 demo. During the 6 PM/ET hour, Special Report with Bret Baier nabbed 2 million viewers and 169,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 7 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle averaged 1.9 million viewers and 166,000 in the 25-54 demo. During the 8 PM/ET hour, Jesse Watters Primetime clinched nearly 2.4 million viewers and 230,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity landed 2.5 million viewers and 238,000 viewers in the 25-54 demo.
FNC’s Gutfeld! (10 PM/ET) once again dominated the late-night landscape, claiming nearly 2.2 million total viewers, outranking ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2.1 million viewers) and the airings of CBS' Comics Unleashed (636,000 viewers).
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| Fox Daytime Line-Up |
FNC’s daytime programs continued to outpace the broadcast competition. The Will Cain Show (4 PM/ET) garnered over 1.6 million viewers, outranking NBC News Daily (1.6 million viewers). Outnumbered (12-1PM/ET), America’s Newsroom (9-11 AM/ET) and The Faulkner Focus (11 AM-12 PM/ET) each nabbed 1.5 million viewers, and both The Story with Martha MacCallum (3 PM/ET) and America Reports (1-3 PM/ET) notched 1.4 million viewers, all surpassing NBC’s Today with Jenna & Sheinelle and ABC’s GMA3, which both posted under 1.4 million viewers.
On Saturday: Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany led the weekend with 1.3 million viewers. FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10AM/ET) followed in second, drawing 952,000 viewers. The Big Weekend Show (5-8 PM/ET) co-hosted by Tomi Lahren and Johnny Joey Jones claimed 904,000 viewers. In primetime, Life, Liberty, & Levin (8 PM/ET) and FOX News Saturday Night (10-11 PM/ET) hosted by Jimmy Failla both posted 886,000 viewers. My View with Lara Trump (9 PM/ET) secured 914,000 viewers.
On Sunday: FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10AM/ET) nabbed 931,000 viewers. Sunday Morning Futures (10 AM/ET) had one million viewers and The Sunday Briefing (11 AM/ET), anchored this week by Jacqui Heinrich, saw 974,000 million viewers. FOX News Live (12-2 PM/ET), hosted by chief Washington correspondent Mike Emanuel, averaged 816,000 viewers. The Big Weekend Show (5-8 PM/ET), co-hosted by Tomi Lahren and Johnny Joey Jones, posted 747,000 viewers. In primetime, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (9 PM/ET) claimed 967,000 viewers. Life, Liberty, & Levin notched 904,000 viewers and One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (10 PM/ET) garnered 710,000 viewers.
Source: Nielsen. Big Data + Panel. Week of 9-7-26 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday - Sunday programming and Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages excludes specials and repeats and weekend cable news programs includes specials.