FNC Beats CNN and MSNBC Combined in Total Viewers During Hearing Coverage
FNC’s 5PM/ET and 6PM/ET Special Coverage Bests Season Premieres of CBS’ ‘Murphy Brown’ and ABC’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
FOX News Channel (FNC) topped all of broadcast and cable news networks for yesterday’s coverage surrounding the testimonies of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, beating CNN and MSNBC combined, according to Nielsen data. FNC easily bested ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC and CNN in all categories, including total viewers, the 25-54 demo and the 18-49 demo.
FNC averaged 5.7 million in total viewers and 1.1 million in the 25-54 demo from 10AM-7PM/ET, with coverage led by Bret Baier Martha MacCallum and Chris Wallace, beating ABC (3,468,000 viewers), CBS (3,238,000 viewers), NBC (3,191,000) and beat CNN (2.5 million viewers; 736,000 A25-54) and MSNBC (2.9 million viewers; 464,000 A25-54) combined in total viewers. Additionally, FNC’s special coverage of the testimony of Judge Brett Kavanaugh at 5PM/ET (7,507,000 in P2+) and 6PM/ET (7,551,000 in P2+) beat both season premieres of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy (6,812,000 in P2+) and CBS’ Murphy Brown (7,504,000 in P2+) in total viewers. In comparison to the network’s third quarter average FNC was up 253 percent in total viewers and 275 percent in the 25-54 demo in the 10AM-7PM/ET time period.
In primetime, FNC averaged 5.5 million in total viewers and 1.3 million in the key demo, beating CNN by 190 percent in in total viewers and 96 percent in the 25-54 demo, and MSNBC by 73 percent in total viewers and 82 percent in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s Hannity was the top-rated show across the board, having its second-highest telecast in both categories since returning to the 9PM/ET timeslot, with 5,857,000 million in total viewers and 1,366,000 million in the demo, beating the season premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU (5,087,000 viewers) head to head. The Story, Tucker Carlson Tonight and The Ingraham Angle also delivered their highest rated telecasts since their respective program launches, with Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham’s programs beating NBC’s Law & Order: SVU, CBS’s S.W.A.T. (4,696,000 viewers) and ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder (2,932,000).
Additionally, FOX News Digital delivered its highest number of politics page views, video initiates and time spent on the platform this year, according to data from Adobe Analytics. The livestream of the hearing on FNC’s digital platforms drove 3 million video starts yesterday. In total, there were 8 million livestream video initiates on FOX News Digital, marking its highest day of video initiates this year. In addition, Fox News was the number one most engaged news brand on social media on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram combined. On the FNC mobile app, it was also the highest day in uniques for the year.
***ACCORDING TO NIELSEN DATA**
Hearing (10AM-7PM/ET):
FNC: 5,694,000 P2+; 1,073,000 A25-54; 733,000 A18-49
ABC: 3,468,000 P2+; 718,000 A25-54; 531,000 A18-49
CBS: 3,238,000 P2+; 660,000 A25-54; 488,000 A18-49
NBC: 3,191,000 P2+; 794,000 A25-54; 597,000 A18-49
CNN: 2,515,000 P2+ and 736,000 A25-54; 531,000 A18-49
MSNBC: 2,892,000 P2+ and 464,000 A25-54; 350,000 A18-49
Primetime (8-11PM/ET):
FNC: 5,503,000 P2+ and 1,313,000 A25-54
CNN: 1,896,000 P2+ and 669,000 A25-54
MSNBC: 3,176,000 P2+ and 721,000 A25-54
7-8PM/ET:
FNC’s The Story with Martha MacCallum: 4,972,000 P2+ and 1,268,000 A25-54
CNN’s Erin Burnett Outfront: 2,308,000 P2 and 820,000 A25-54
MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews: 2,774,000 P2+ and 564,000 A25-54
8-9PM/ET:
FNC’s Tucker Carlson Tonight: 5,283,000 P2+ and 1,285,000 A25-54
CNN’ Anderson Cooper 360: 2,061,000 P2+ and 687,000 A25-54
MSNBC’s All in with Chris Hayes; 2,791,000 P2+ and 652,000 A25-54
9-10PM/ET
FNC’s Hannity: 5,857,000 P2+ and 1,366,000 A25-54
CNN’s Cuomo Primetime: 1,889,000 P2+ and 666,000 A25-54
MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show: 4,033,000 P2+ and 935,000 A25-54
10-11PM/ET:
FNC’s The Ingraham Angle: 5,369,000 P2+ and 1,289,000 A25-54
CNN’s CNN Tonight: 1,738,000 P2+ and 655,000 A25-54
MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell: 2,705,000 P2+ and 577,000 A25-54
11PM-12AM/ET:
FNC’s FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream: 3,070,000 P2+ and 774,000 A25-54
CNN’s CNN Tonight: 1,324,000 P2+ and 492,000 A25-54
MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Brian Williams: 1,896,000 P2+ and 437,000 A25-54
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most watched television news channel for more than 16 years. According to a 2018 Research Intelligencer study by Brand Keys, FOX News ranks as the second most trusted television brand in the country. Additionally, a Suffolk University/USA Today survey states FOX News is the most trusted source for television news or commentary in the country, while a 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News is the top-cited outlet. Owned by 21st Century Fox, FNC is available in 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
