Fox News Channel averaged 1.4 million total viewers during daytime and two million during primetime and dominated cable news last week, while executives at MSNBC and CNN didn’t have much to be thankful for as both networks achieved historic ratings gluts.
CNN had its lowest-rated week among total viewers since June 2001 the week of November 25, averaging just 268,000, compared to 1.4 million for Fox News.
MSNBC generated 346,000 total viewers, surpassing CNN in this category despite dramatic viewership woes in other metrics. During primetime, it was much the same, as MSNBC averaged 465,000 viewers, while CNN only drew 297,000 viewers, with both networks finishing with less than half the viewers. Fox News’ audience combined.
MSNBC PLACES ANOTHER CRITICAL RATINGS LOW UNDER CRITICAL DEMO
Fox News Channel hosts Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters, Sean Hannity and Greg Gutfeld. (Fox News)
Despite a busy news cycle, CNN had a smaller average audience between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. than 29 other cable networks, including Bravo, TV Land, Freeform Investigation Discovery, FX, Food Network and History.
Since President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory, Fox News has captured 73% of the primetime cable news audience, while MSNBC and CNN’s audiences have seen viewers ignore the news.
CNN had its lowest-rated week among its key demographic of adults 25 to 54 in nearly 30 years, with an average of 41,000 viewers from the group coveted by advertisers. But MSNBC was even worse in the critical category, averaging just 29,000 daytime viewers among the demo.
MSNBC had a smaller audience among the demo than 36 other cable options, including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, E!, The Cartoon Network, Oxygen, MTV, Hallmark Mystery and a few Lifetime networks. It was MSNBC’s worst week in the demo since November 1997.
“The Five,” starring Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 4.1 million viewers and 420,000 among the demo that finished as the nation’s No. 1 cable news program week in both categories. (Fox News)
Fox News thrived while CNN and MSNBC struggled, resulting in FNC’s highest share of the cable news audience among the most important demo in network history with an average audience of 163,000 viewers ages 25 to 54, for a whopping 70 share %.
During primetime, Fox News averaged 237,000 demo viewers, compared to just 51,000 for CNN, which finished behind 33 different cable options.
MSNBC averaged just 37,000 primetime demo viewers, finishing at No. 43 among cable channels. It was MSNBC’s lowest-rated week in the category since December 1997.
“The Five,” starring Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 4.1 million viewers and 420,000 among the demo that finished as the nation’s No. 1 cable news program week in both categories.
FOX NEWS CHANNEL ENDS ELECTION WEEK AS THE MOST WATCHED NETWORK ON ALL TV
“Special Report with Bret Baier,” “The Ingraham Angle,” “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Hannity,” “Gutfeld!” and “FOX News @ Night” all had dominant weeks as well, as Fox News was home to 98 of the top 100 cable news broadcasts of the week.
“Outnumbered,” Martha MacCallum’s “The Story,” “The Faulkner Focus,” “America’s Newsroom” with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino and “America Reports” with John Roberts and Sandra Smith helped boost Fox News’ daytime lineup furthermore, outpacing much broadcast competition to MSNBC and CNN offerings.
“Cavuto Live” averaged 1.3 million and finished as Saturday’s most-watched show on cable news and “Sunday Morning Futures” averaged 1.8 million and took the weekend crown.
Fox News beat CNN this week by 407% among total daytime viewers and 577% during primetime viewers and crushed MSNBC by 293% among total daytime viewers and 334% during primetime viewers.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
All data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.
