FNC Secures 94 of the Top 100 Cable News Telecasts in February
“Gutfeld!” Surpasses CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” with A25-54 for the Second Time Since Launch
CNN Posts Worst Month in Total Day with A25-54 Since 2012, Lowest Month in Primetime with A25-54 Since 2013
NEW YORK – February 28, 2023 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished February 2023 surpassing CNN and MSNBC with total day and primetime viewers and A25-54 for two straight years. Within basic cable, FNC was the most watched network in all of cable across primetime and total day. FNC also notched 94 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. In total day, FNC delivered over 1.4 million viewers, 189,000 in the 25-54 demo and 121,000 in the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC netted 2.3 million viewers, 299,000 in the 25-54 demo and 198,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network secured the top 13 programs in cable news with viewers and the top 15 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. The Five continued to make history, marking eleven consecutive months as the most-watched program in cable news, while Tucker Carlson Tonight led cable news in the younger 25-54 demo. Notably, Gutfeld! surpassed CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in the 25-54 demo for the second time since launch. CNN This Morning secured its worst month since launch, seeing just 360,000 viewers and 73,000 with A25-54.
Attracting 56% of cable news viewers across primetime and 55% in total day, FNC continued to deliver over half the genre’s audience share. According to Nielsen MRI-Simmons Fusion, FNC also remained the most-watched network across the political spectrum with more Independents and Democrats choosing FNC as their preferred network than MSNBC and CNN across total day and primetime. FNC was also number one in cable news with Asian and Hispanic viewers across both total day and primetime.
Gutfeld! continued to surpass a number of broadcast late-night programs for the month securing 2 million viewers and 322,000 in the 25-54 demo, besting CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (321,000 A25-54) in the younger demo and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,532,000 P2+) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,411,000 P2+) with total viewers. In cable, FNC’s late-night show swept CNN’s airing of Bill Maher’s Overtime in its debut month which averaged just 354,000 viewers and 71,000 with A25-54. Airing at 11 PM/ET, Gutfeld! topped every show on CNN and MSNBC as well with both viewers and A25-54.
At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s late afternoon offering The Five continued as the number one rated show with viewers for the 11th consecutive month and has finished first in cable news for the last 14 out of 15 months. The roundtable program averaged 3.3 million viewers, 371,000 with 25-54 demo and 234,000 in the 18-49 demo, outpacing every show on CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 8 PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight continued as the highest-rated program in cable news in the younger 25-54 and 18-49 demos, averaging 3.3 million viewers, 461,000 in the 25-54 demo and 308,000 in the 18-49 category throughout February. Hannity at 9 PM/ET scored 2.7 million viewers, 355,000 in the 25-54 demo and 226,000 among adults 18-49, achieving the third most-watched program in A25-54 and outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN combined with total viewers. Comparatively, CNN averaged just 574,000 viewers and 118,000 with A25-54 at 9 PM. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 2.1 million viewers, 281,000 in the 25-54 demo and 182,000 in 18-49 continuing her streak as the most-watched woman in cable news. Notably, FNC’s The Five, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity and Special Report all surpassed ABC’s The View with total viewers.
Evening newscast Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged over 2.4 million viewers and 275,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 7 PM/ET, FNC’s Jesse Watters Primetime finished as the third highest-rated cable news program, averaging 2.8 million viewers and 314,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night, anchored by Trace Gallagher, surpassed the competition, delivering 985,000 viewers and 174,000 with A25-54.
CNN also saw a number of lows during the month of February. The network averaged 122,000 in primetime, marking its worst month since 2013 and 89,000 in total day with A25-54, which is the worst month CNN has had since 2012 in the younger demo. Additionally, programs including Anderson Cooper 360 (133,000 A25-54), Erin Burnett Outfront (132,000 A25-54), The Situation Room (122,000 A25-54) and The Lead with Jake Tapper (116,000 A25-54) all saw their worst months with A25-54 since 2014 as well.
From 4-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends First garnered 444,000 viewers and 83,000 with A25-54. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished February with 1.2 million viewers and 170,000 in the demo, easily outpacing the newly launched CNN This Morning and MSNBC’s Morning Joe combined across both categories. In fact, the program beat every offering on CNN in total viewers. CNN This Morning averaged just 360,000 viewers and 73,000 with A25-54 in February, its lowest rated month since launching in the fall. FOX & Friends continued to make its mark as the number one cable news program in the mornings in both categories for the 23rd consecutive month.
FNC’s daytime lineup, which kicks off with two-hour morning news program, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), delivered 1.7 million viewers and 212,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.7 million viewers and 211,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.8 million viewers and 218,000 in the 25-54 demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.5 million viewers and 195,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.5 million viewers and 193,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1.6 million viewers and 201,000 in the 25-54 category for the month. Notably, FNC’s Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom and The Faulkner Focus, all topped NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna, ABC’s GMA3, CBS’s The Talk and newly launched NBC News Daily with viewers.
FNC continued to excel against the competition on weekends throughout the month, overtaking CNN and MSNBC across total day and primetime with viewers. On Saturday, Cavuto Live (Saturdays, 10 AM/ET) was the top show of the day with 1.4 million viewers, and 198,000 with A25-54. FOX & Friends Weekend (Saturdays, 6-10 AM/ET) posted 1.3 million viewers and 159,000 with A25-54. Unfiltered with Dan Bongino (Saturdays, 9PM/ET) was the most-watched program in primetime on Saturday, amassing 1.4 million viewers and 162,000 with A25-54. FNC’s 8 PM/ET addition to its Saturday primetime lineup, One Nation helmed by Brian Kilmeade, garnered 1.3 million and 138,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s Lawrence Jones, the youngest Black solo primetime host in cable news, also scored 1.1 million viewers and 138,000 in the 25-54 demo at 10 PM/ET with Lawrence Jones Cross Country at 10 PM/ET. Additionally, The FOX Report with Jon Scott (weekends, 6 PM/ET) averaged over 1.3 million viewers and 142,000 with A25-54.
On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10 AM/ET) once again earned the top-rated spot across the board for the entire weekend, with over 1.6 million viewers and 217,000 with A25-54. At 8 PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin earned over 1.4 million viewers and 136,000 in the demo, marking the number one program in primetime. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, delivered 1.4 million viewers and 185,000 in the 25-54 demo. Meanwhile, FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 7 PM/ET), outpaced every CNN and MSNBC weekend program with viewers drawing an audience of 1.4 million viewers and 118,000 with A25-54, defeating CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? which averaged just 551,000 viewers and 72,000 with A25-54. At 9 PM/ET, The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton secured 1 million viewers and 112,000 in the 25-54 demo. Notably, FOX & Friends Weekend (Sundays, 6-10 AM/ET) outperformed CNN and MSNBC every hour on Sunday in total viewers and the 25-54 demo during the month, earning 1.2 million viewers and 168,000 with A25-54.
FEBRUARY 2023 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: The Five (3,310,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,303,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (2,833,000), Hannity (2,684,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,439,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (461,000), The Five (371,000), Hannity (355,000), Gutfeld! (322,000) Jesse Watters Primetime (314,000)
FEBRUARY 2023 VS. FEBRUARY 2022 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,437,000 total viewers – down 14% (189,000 in 25-54 – down 35%)
CNN: 474,000 total viewers – down 24% (89,000 in 25-54 – down 41%)
MSNBC: 711,000 total viewers – down 1% (80,000 in 25-54 – down 6%)
PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,262,000 total viewers – down 14% (299,000 in 25-54- down 33%)
CNN: 587,000 total viewers – down 24% (122,000 in 25-54 – down 42%)
MSNBC: 1,165,000 total viewers – down 2% (119,000 in 25-54 – down 15%)
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service and has been the number one network in basic cable for the last six years and the most-watched television news channel for more than 21 consecutive years, currently attracting more than 50% of the cable news viewing audience according to Nielsen Media Research. Notably, Nielsen/MRI Fusion has consistently shown FNC to be the network of choice for more Democrat and Independent viewers, with the most politically diverse audience in cable news. Additionally, a 2021 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report stated FOX News leads the news industry in both brand loyalty, engagement, and expectations while a 2022 Brand Keys poll showed FNC dominating morning and evening news in customer loyalty engagement. Owned by Fox Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 80 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top 15 programs in the genre.
