FNC’s New Primetime Lineup Finishes Month as the Highest-Rated in All of Cable, Crushes the Competition by Double and Triple-Digits in Every Hour From 7-11 PM/ET
“The Five” Reigns Supreme as Most-Watched Program in Cable News, While “Jesse Watters Primetime” Marks Highest Viewership Across Primetime
FNC’s Audience Share Increases to 45% of Cable News Audience; Only Network to Post Growth in Total Viewership Month-Over-Month
FNC Notches 92 of the Top 100 Telecasts in Cable News for July
NEW YORK – August 1, 2023 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished July 2023 as cable television’s most-watched network across both primetime and total day viewership and #2 in the 25-54 demo with total day behind ESPN, according to Nielsen Media Research. In terms of cable news, FNC marked 29 consecutive months defeating the competition in total day and primetime total viewers, while nearly besting CNN and MSNBC combined with primetime viewers. FNC also notched 92 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. In total day, FNC delivered 1.1 million viewers and 122,000 in the 25-54 demo. In primetime from 7-11PM/ET, FNC netted 1.6 million viewers and 147,000 in the 25-54 demo. The network secured the top six programs in cable news with viewers and the top nine cable news shows in the 25-54 demo. Month over month, FNC is the only network to post growth in total viewers (+5%), while CNN and MSNBC were both down across the board.
Attracting 45% of cable news viewers across primetime and in total day, FNC continued to lead the genre’s audience share and increased in all categories versus June. According to Nielsen MRI-Simmons Fusion, FNC is the number one cable network with Democrats, Republicans and Independents with the 25-54 demo. Additionally, a recently published Politico/Ipsos poll of over 1000 registered voters found FNC to be the top news source in television. Among cable news networks, nearly half of respondents (47%) claim FNC as their main source of news, more than CNN (27%) and MSNBC (17%) combined.
FNC’s 5 PM/ET roundtable program The Five which has been number one in viewership for seven consecutive quarters, continued its streak with both categories, securing 2,591,000 viewers and 254,000 with A25-54. Evening newscast Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged 1,743,000 million viewers and 164,000 in the 25-54 demo.
FNC’s new weekday primetime lineup which debuted on Monday, July 17th, beat the cable news competition across the board with viewers and the younger A25-54 demo. From 7-11 PM/ET, FNC averaged 2,160,000 viewers and 211,000 in A25-54, sweeping CNN and MSNBC in all categories, winning combined in total viewers and more than tripling CNN in overall viewership. Finishing the month as the highest-rated primetime lineup in all of cable, FNC is the only cable network to average over 1.5 million viewers in primetime. Notably, the new primetime lineup increased FNC’s share of the cable news audience versus the prior month from 41% to 48% in total viewers and from 34% to 42% with A25-54. The network’s new primetime lineup posted double digit increase over FNC’s average from April 24-July 14th, (+26% P2+) and (+29% A25-54), and also increased versus the week prior to launch posting +21% and +33% gains in viewers and A25-54, respectively. Compared to June 2023 average, FNC’s primetime is also is up 20% in viewers and 19% in A25-54.
Kicking off the new lineup at 7 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 1,926,000 million viewers and 174,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing host Laura Ingraham’s streak as the most-watched woman in cable news. Following at 8 PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime garnered 2,403,000 viewers and 207,000 with A25-54, making it the highest-rated program in primetime viewers and second overall behind only The Five. The program grew the timeslot nearly 50% versus the prior month and posted double and triple digit advantages over the competition on CNN and MSNBC.
FNC’s Hannity which remained at 9 PM/ET scored 2,161,000 viewers, 201,000 in the 25-54 demo, achieving the third most-watched program in all categories, outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN combined with total viewers. Comparatively, CNN’s newly launched The Source with Kaitlan Collins averaged just 558,000 viewers and 109,000 with A25-54 at 9 PM/ET. Gutfeld!’s 10 PM/ET premiere delivered 1,983,000 viewers and 252,000 in A25-54, making the show the most-watched among primetime demo viewers. Wrapping up the night, FOX News @ Night, anchored by Trace Gallagher in it’s new 11 PM/ET timeslot, surpassed the competition, delivering 983,000 viewers and 136,000 with A25-54.
From 5-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends First garnered 452,000 viewers and 82,000 with A25-54. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished July with over 1 million viewers and 135,000 in the demo, easily outpacing the newly launched CNN This Morning and MSNBC’s Morning Joe across both categories. In fact, the program beat every offering on CNN in total viewers and 25-54 demo. CNN This Morning averaged just 324,000 viewers and 62,000 with A25-54 in April. FOX & Friends continues to make its mark as the number one cable news program in the mornings in both categories for the 29th consecutive month in 25-54 demo.
FNC’s daytime lineup, kicking off with two-hour morning news program, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), delivered 1.3 million viewers and 151,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.3 million viewers and 160,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.4 million viewers and 171,000 in the 25-54 demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.2 million viewers and 136,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.2 million viewers and 125,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1.2 million viewers and 126,000 in the 25-54 category for the month. Notably, FNC’s Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom, The Faulkner Focus, all topped NBC News Daily with viewers.
FNC continued to excel against the competition on weekends throughout the month, outpacing CNN and MSNBC yet again across total day and primetime with viewers and winning every hour in total viewers. On Saturday, FOX & Friends Weekend (Saturdays, 6 AM/ET) was the most-watched of the day with 1 million viewers, and 143,000 with A25-54. Following, Cavuto Live was the second most-watched cable news program on Saturday in both categories, also netting 1 million viewers and 124,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET One Nation, helmed by Brian Kilmeade, garnered 878,000 viewers and 70,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s Lawrence Jones, the youngest Black solo primetime host in cable news, scored 787,000 viewers and 72,000 in the 25-54 demo at 10 PM/ET with Lawrence Jones Cross Country. Additionally, The FOX Report with Jon Scott (weekends, 6 PM/ET) averaged 830,000 viewers and 74,000 with A25-54. FNC’s newest addition of The Big Weekend Show at 7 PM/ET drew 886,000 viewers and 69,000 A25-54 while FNC’s FOX News Saturday Night brought in 766,000 total viewers and 85,000 in the 25-54 demo.
On Sundays, FNC’s Life, Liberty and Levin (Sundays, 8 PM/ET) earned the top-rated spot in total viewers the entire weekend, with 1.4 million viewers and 91,000 A25-54. At 10 AM/ET, Sunday Morning Futures hosted by Maria Bartiromo ranked first in the younger demo averaging 160,000 viewers with A25-54 and 1.4 million viewers. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, delivered 1 million viewers and 119,000 in the 25-54 demo. Meanwhile, FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 9 PM/ET), delivered an audience of 1.1 million viewers and 79,000 A25-54. Additionally, FOX News Live scored 773,000 total viewers and 92,000 in the 25-54 demo.
JULY 2023 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: The Five (2,591,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (2,403,000), Hannity (2,161,000), Gutfeld! (1,983,000), The Ingraham Angle (1,926,000)
Adults 25-54: The Five (254,000), Gutfeld! (252,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (207,000), Hannity (201,000), The Ingraham Angle (174,000)
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 seven years and the most-watched television news channel for more than 21 consecutive years, currently attracting nearly 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 10 programs.
