FBN Closes Out Third Quarter with Double-Digit Year-Over-Year Growth
“Kudlow” Ranks First in Business News for Third Consecutive Quarter, “Varney & Co” Continues as Second Most-Watched
“Mornings with Maria” Rules Pre-Market Coverage with Back-to-Back Quarterly Wins Over CNBC’s “Squawk Box”
NEW YORK – September 27, 2022 – FOX Business Network (FBN) ended the third quarter of 2022 outpacing CNBC in Business Day viewers for the second consecutive quarter, according to Nielsen Media Research. The network, which saw double-digit audience growth year-over-year across the board, also placed seven of the 15 most-watched business programs on television and delivered the highest-rated quarter since 2020 with viewers.
As market uncertainties continued to drive the news cycle, FBN delivered 227,000 total viewers across Business Day (9:30 AM-5 PM/ET), up 37% compared to the third quarter of 2021 and a 21% advantage over CNBC. Additionally, the network’s Total Day (6 AM-6 AM/ET) viewership saw 133,000 total viewers, up 29% year-over-year (27% year-over-year with A25-54). Meanwhile, during the critical Market Hours (9 AM-4 PM/ET), viewers also grew by 32% (216,000 total viewers), outpacing CNBC for four straight months. All day parts saw increases across the 25-54 demographic as well.
In fact, nearly all FBN programs rounded out the quarter with double-digit year-over-year gains across both total viewers and the 25-54 demographic. Larry Kudlow’s eponymous Kudlow (weekdays, 4 PM/ET), which placed first in all business news programs with 322,000 viewers, saw its highest-rated quarter ever in the younger demo, a 69% advantage year-over-year. The program also delivered a 67% increase in viewers year-over-year, overtaking CNBC’s Closing Bell for the fourth consecutive quarter with viewers. Stuart Varney’s three-hour market-open program Varney & Co. (weekdays, 9 AM-12 PM/ET) nabbed gains of 31% while also ranking second in the top 10 business programs on television with 282,000 viewers. The program beat CNBC’s Squawk on the Street/TechCheck for the second consecutive quarter with viewers.
Leading into the market open, Maria Bartiromo’s critical three-hour pre-market program Mornings with Maria (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) saw a jump in the A25-54 demo (+36%) and was up 24% percent in total viewers. This also marked the second consecutive quarter the program beat its CNBC counterpart Squawk Box. FBN’s core Business Day programs including CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (weekdays, 12-2 PM/ET) anchored by Neil Cavuto, Making Money with Charles Payne (weekdays, 2-3 PM/ET) and The Claman Countdown (3-4 PM/ET) anchored by Liz Claman all scored placements in the top 20 business programs on television. Each program also earned double-digit audience increases across the board. Making Money with Charles Payne beat CNBC’s Power Lunch with total viewers marking the program’s first quarterly win since 2018.
During post-market coverage, FBN’s FOX Business Tonight (weekdays, 5 PM/ET) trounced CNBC for the full quarter for the first time ever with a 9% advantage in total viewers. It also saw an 67% advantage compared to the prior year in the 25-54 demo, while also marking the show’s highest rated quarter since Q4’20 with total viewers. The program drew in 160,000 total viewers and finished the quarter among the 15 most-watched business programs, while The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald (6-7 PM/ET) garnered 168,000 total viewers (+29% year-over-year) and was up 36% year-over-year in the demo. For the fourth consecutive month, the program outperformed CNBC’s Mad Money with viewers. Year-over-year, Kennedy (Monday-Thursday, 7 PM/ET) notched a 22% increase in viewers and a 75% increase with demo viewers.
FBN also scored eight of the top 20 most-affluent cable news programs with A25-54 for the quarter with The Claman Countdown taking first place with an average median income of $140,600. Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Making Money with Charles Payne, Varney & Co., Wall Street Journal at Large with Gerry Baker (Fridays, 7:30-8 PM/ET), FOX Business Tonight, Kudlow and Mornings with Maria all had average median incomes of $118,900 or greater.
3Q’22 Total Day (6 AM-6 AM/ET):
FBN: 133,000 P2+ and 14,000 A25-54
CNBC: 148,000 P2+ and 35,000 A25-54
3Q’22 Business Day (9:30 AM-5 PM/ET):
FBN: 227,000 P2+ and 21,000 A25-54
CNBC: 188,000 P2+ and 37,000 A25-54
3Q’22 Market Hours (9 AM-4 PM/ET):
FBN: 216,000 P2+ and 20,000 A25-54
CNBC: 190,000 P2+ and 38,000 A25-54
**Program Specials Excluded**
FOX Business Network (FBN) is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street. Headquartered in New York — the business capital of the world — FBN launched in October 2007 and is currently the top business channel on television during market hours. The network is available in nearly 80 million homes in all markets across the United States. Owned by Fox Corporation, FBN is a unit of FOX News Media and has bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.
