“The Five” Rules Cable Becoming the First Non-Primetime Program to Rank Number One in Viewers for a Full Year; “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Remains Highest-Rated in the A25-54 Demo
FNC’s “Hannity” Rounds out Cable News’ Top Three, Laura Ingraham Continues Reign as Most-Watched Woman in the Genre
“Jesse Watters Primetime” is Fastest Growing Program of 2022, Garners Highest-Rated 7 PM/ET Hour in Cable News History
FNC’s “Gutfeld!” Notches Largest Audience in Program History, Finishes Year as Second Highest-Rated Late-Night Show
CNN and MSNBC See Lowest-Rated Years in History
FNC’s “America Reports” at 1 PM/ET Outpaces Broadcast Networks, Beating ABC’s GMA3 and NBC News Daily
FNC Holds 2022’s Largest Share of the Cable News Audience, Has More Politically Diverse Audience Than CNN or MSNBC
NEW YORK – December 28, 2022 – FOX News Channel (FNC) notched its seventh year as leader in all of cable television while delivering the third highest-rated year ever in cable news history for 2022 in total day viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. The network’s programs continued to break new ratings records throughout the year, resulting in FNC continuing as the number one cable network in primetime and total day in viewers in basic cable for the seventh consecutive year and the highest-rated cable news network for the 21st straight year. In primetime, FNC averaged 2,330,000 total viewers, 346,000 in the 25-54 demo and 214,000 in the 18-49 demo. In total day, FNC was the only network to post increases versus 2021, delivering 1,489,000 total viewers, 231,000 in the 25-54 demo and 141,000 in the 18-49 demo. FNC trounced CNN and MSNBC combined in primetime and total day across both categories, finishing the year as the only cable news network to notch more than 2 million in primetime viewers and 1 million in total day viewers. FNC programs made up 92 of the top 100 cable news shows during 2022. Notably, CNN saw its lowest-rated year of all time in total day with the younger A25-54 demo and MSNBC saw its lowest rated year of all time for weekend programming. According to data from Nielsen/MRI Fusion, FNC also attracted the most politically diverse audience in cable news with more Democrats, Independents and Republicans tuning into FNC than any other network in total viewers and the younger A25-54 demo. This year, FNC had its second highest share of the cable news audience in its history with 53% in total day in the 25-54 demo. FNC also drew 55% of the primetime audience in total viewers.
In commenting on 2022’s ratings, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “From America’s choice on election night to the home of late night’s smash hit show, 2022 was a testament to our unmatched skill in delivering the most innovative news and opinion programming to our audience which continues to rank as the most politically diverse in cable news. I am beyond proud of our entire team’s incredible achievements this year.”
During 2022, FNC scored the top 13 out of 15 programs in cable news with total viewers, including The Five, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, Special Report with Bret Baier, The Ingraham Angle, Gutfeld!, Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom, The Faulkner Focus, Your World with Neil Cavuto, America Reports and The Story. FNC also had the top 15 rated shows in A25-54 and the 13 highest-rated shows with the 18-49 demo.
FNC’s The Five continued to smash records this year. For the first time in television history, a non-primetime cable program closed out the year as cable’s most-watched in total viewers. Airing at 5 PM/ET, FNC’s late afternoon program crushed all daytime and primetime programming on CNN and MSNBC, garnering cable news’ largest audience in 2022 with 3,432,000 viewers and 465,000 in A25-54. Tucker Carlson Tonight was cable news’ highest-rated program in the A25-54 demo, averaging 523,000 viewers in A25-54 and 3,322,000 total viewers at 8 PM/ET. At 9 PM/ET, Hannity dominated the timeslot, topping MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight and CNN’s CNN Tonight combined across the board, with 2,815,000 viewers and 417,000 in A25-54. FNC’s Laura Ingraham continued her reign as cable news’ highest-rated female host as The Ingraham Angle crushed the 10 PM/ET competition combined in viewers and A25-54, delivering 2,280,000 viewers and 358,000 A25-54.
In 2022, FNC’s late-night program Gutfeld! delivered its most-watched year ever and continued to upend the genre, becoming the first late-night show to unseat CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in viewers for a full month since 2017. The program held nearly 30% of the late-night audience share this year, increasing its audience year over year. Gutfeld! has been the highest rated late-night program in all of television since August and finished 2022 as the second most-watched host in late-night television. FNC’s Gutfeld! (weekdays, 11 PM/ET) averaged 2,045,000 viewers (+28%) and 345,000 (+12%) in A25-54, posting double digit gains since 2021 in both categories and topping NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! in viewers. Additionally, Gutfeld! beats all of cable late night in viewers, A25-54 and the younger A18-49 demo, including Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, HBO’s Last Week Tonight and Real Time with Bill Maher.
At 6 PM/ET, FNC’s premier news program, Special Report with Bret Baier, finished the year with cable news’ largest audience in that hour, averaging 2.5 million viewers and 358,000 in A25-54. Jesse Watters Primetime (weeknights, 7 PM/ET) was 2022’s fastest growing cable news show and crushed the competition across the board with 2.9 million viewers and 396,000 in A25-54, delivering the highest-rated 7 PM/ET hour in cable news history. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher easily bested the competition, delivering 1.1 million viewers and 227,000 A25-54.
FNC’s signature morning franchise FOX & Friends continued to dominate the cable news’ wake-up program landscape. FOX & Friends (6-9 AM/ET) was the highest-rated morning show for the 22nd consecutive year, topping CNN and MSNBC combined in viewers and the younger demo with 1.4 million viewers and 232,000 in the A25-54 demo. FOX & Friends also outpaced every primetime and daytime program on CNN for the year across the board and every MSNBC program in the younger A25-54 demo. FNC’s early AM show FOX & Friends First (weekday, 4-6 AM/ET), with co-hosts Todd Piro and Carley Shimkus, topped the competition in both categories, delivering 559,000 viewers and 113,000 in A25-54.
FNC’s daytime lineup continued as cable’s most-watched destination for the latest in news. Each program posted increases versus 2021, beginning with America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (9-11 AM/ET) which averaged 1.8 million total viewers and 259,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 11 AM/ET, Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus delivered 1,752,000 total viewers and 253,000 in the 25-54 demo, defeating CNN and MSNBC across the board and outranking ABC’s The View on election week. FNC’s Outnumbered, with co-hosts Harris Faulkner, Emily Compagno and Kayleigh McEnany, was 12 PM/ET’s highest-rated cable news program with 1.9 million viewers and 272,000 in A25-54. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith surpassed ABC’s GMA3 (1,602,000 viewers) and NBC News Daily (1,119,000 viewers), in total viewers, averaging 1.6 million viewers and 243,000 A25-54. The program also dominated its timeslot in cable news, beating MSNBC and CNN across the board. The Story’s Martha MacCallum surmounted the competition at 3 PM/ET with an audience of 1,586,000 viewers and 241,000 in A25-54 while Your World with Neil Cavuto also finished the year in the number one spot in both categories with 1,620,000 million viewers and 242,000 in A25-54.
Kicking off FNC’s weekend programming, FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) continued to obliterate the competition across the board with 1.3 million viewers and 216,000 in A25-54. Cavuto Live, at 10 AM/ET, was the highest-rated program in its timeslot, averaging 1.4 million viewers and 208,000 in A25-54. On weekends at 5 PM/ET, FNC’s The Big Saturday Show (1,120,000 P2+; 145,000 A25-54) and The Big Sunday Show (1,034,000 P2+, 135,000 A25-54) outperformed CNN and MSNBC on both days in both categories. At 7 PM/ET on Saturdays, FOX Report with Jon Scott was cable news’ most-watched program with 1.2 million viewers and 156,000 in A25-54.
FNC’s Saturday primetime lineup continued to dominate the competition with Unfiltered with Dan Bongino finishing the year with the largest audience across the board at 9 PM/ET with 1.4 million viewers and 195,000 in A25-54. At 8 PM/ET, FNC’s newly launched programs topped their timeslots. One Nation with Brian Kilmeade crushed CNN and MSNBC, averaging 1.3 million viewers and 178,000 in A25-54 while Lawrence Jones Cross Country also attained the number one spot at 10 PM/ET with 1.2 million viewers and 166,000 in A25-54.
Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (10-11 AM/ET) finished the year as the weekend’s highest-rated show in viewers (1.8 million) and the younger A25-54 demo (245,000). FOX News Sunday with Shannon Bream is the only public affairs program to post gains in the younger A25-54 demo versus last year, averaging 1.1 million viewers and 283,000 in A25-54. At 11 AM/ET, MediaBuzz with Howard Kurtz delivered 1.4 million and 199,000 in A25-54. FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 7 PM/ET) outpaced the competition with 1.6 million viewers and 173,000 in A25-54. Life, Liberty and Levin was Sunday’s second most-watched show in viewers with 1.7 million viewers and 171,000 in A25-54. Steve Hilton’s The Next Revolution topped CNN and MSNBC across the board with 1.3 million viewers and 167,000 in A25-54.
Nielsen Cable News Ratings for 2022 (12/27/21-12/13/22) vs. 2021 (12/28/20-12/26/21)
Primetime:
FNC: 2,330,000 P2+ (down 1%); 346,000 25-54 (down 7%)
CNN: 730,000 P2+ (down 33%); 174,000 25-54 (down 36%)
MSNBC: 1,208,000 P2+ (down 21%); 133,000 25-54 (down 39%)
Total Day:
FNC: 1,489,000 P2+ (up 12%); 231,000 25-54 (up 3%)
CNN: 568,000 P2+ (down 27%); 123,000 25-54 (down 35%)
MSNBC: 733,000 P2+ (down 19%); 83,000 25-54 (down 35%)
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 20 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.
