FNC Secures 99 of the Top 100 Cable News Telecasts in January
FNC’s “The Five” is Number One Show in Viewers for Tenth Straight Month; “Tucker Carlson Tonight” is Highest-Rated in A25-54
NEW YORK – January 31, 2023 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished January 2023 surpassing CNN and MSNBC with total day and primetime viewers and A25-54 for the 23rd consecutive month. FNC also notched 99 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month. In total day, FNC delivered over 1.3 million viewers, 173,000 in the 25-54 demo and 110,000 with the 18-49 demo. In primetime, FNC netted over 1.9 million viewers, 239,000 in the 25-54 demo and 157,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network secured the top 13 programs in cable news with viewers and the top 14 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. The Five continued to make history, marking ten consecutive months as the most-watched program in cable news, while Tucker Carlson Tonight led cable news in the younger 25-54 demo. CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? saw its lowest-rated month since launch with total viewers as the show begins its second season seeing double-digit declines on Sunday at 7 PM/ET.
Attracting 54% of cable news viewers across primetime and 53% 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 in total day and primetime viewers in the A25-54 demo. FNC was also number one in cable news with Asian viewers in total day and Hispanic viewers in primetime.
Gutfeld! continued to surpass a number of broadcast late-night programs for the month, besting ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1,554,000 P2+) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1,372,000 P2+) in total viewers. In cable, FNC’s late-night show swept Comedy Central’s The Daily Show (340,000 P2+, 119,000 A25-54) across the board in total viewers, the 25-54 demo and 18-49. Airing at 11 PM/ET, the program 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 tenth consecutive month and has finished first in cable news for the last 13 out of 14 months. The roundtable program averaged 3.4 million viewers, 379,000 with 25-54 demo and 239,000 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 3.2 million viewers and 448,000 in the 25-54 demo, as well as 300,000 in the 18-49 category throughout January. Hannity at 9 PM/ET scored 2.6 million viewers, 307,000 in the 25-54 demo and 196,000 among adults 18-49, achieving the fourth most-watched program in all categories and outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN combined with total viewers. Comparatively, CNN averaged just 695,000 viewers and 164,000 with A25-54 at 9 PM. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 2.1 million viewers, 280,000 in the 25-54 demo and 177,000 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 and Hannity all surpassed ABC’s The View with total viewers.
Evening newscast Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged 2.4 million viewers and 278,000 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 319,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night, anchored by Trace Gallagher, surpassed the competition, delivering 1.2 million viewers and 196,000 with A25-54.
From 4-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends First garnered 458,000 viewers and 70,000 with A25-54. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished January with 1.2 million viewers and 167,000 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 372,000 viewers and 74,000 with A25-54 in its first month. FOX & Friends continues to make its mark as the number one cable news program in the mornings in both categories for the 22nd consecutive month.
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 1.6 million viewers and 203,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.6 million viewers and 214,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.7 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 199,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.5 million viewers and 195,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1.6 million viewers and 207,000 in the 25-54 category for the month. Notably, FNC’s Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom, The Faulkner Focus, all topped 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, as its Saturday primetime line up marked it’s one year anniversary and continues to outpace 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 1,428,000 viewers, and 194,000 with A25-54. FOX & Friends Weekend (Saturdays, 6-10 AM/ET) followed in second with over 1.2 million viewers and 185,000 with A25-54. Unfiltered with Dan Bongino (Saturdays, 9PM/ET) was the most-watched program in primetime on Saturday, earning 1.2 million viewers and 128,000 with A25-54. FNC’s 8 PM/ET addition to its Saturday primetime lineup, One Nation helmed by Brian Kilmeade, garnered 1.1 million and 121,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s Lawrence Jones, the youngest Black solo primetime host in cable news, also scored 881,000 viewers and 94,000 in the 25-54 demo at 10 PM/ET with Lawrence Jones Cross Country at 10 PM/ET.
On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10 AM/ET) earned the top-rated spot across the board for the entire weekend, with over 1.7 million viewers and 225,000 with A25-54. At 8 PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin earned 1.3 million viewers and 97,000 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 181,000 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 1.1 million viewers and 80,000 with A25-54, easily defeating the new season of CNN’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? which averaged just 365,000 viewers and 48,000 with A25-54. At 9 PM/ET, The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton secured 869,000 viewers and 80,000 in the demo. Notably, FOX & Friends Weekend (Sundays, 6-10 AM/ET) outdrew 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.
JANUARY 2023 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: The Five (3,378,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,188,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (2,836,000), Hannity (2,568,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,406,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (448,000), The Five (379,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (319,000), Hannity (307,000), Gutfeld! (301,000)
JANUARY 2023 VS. JANUARY 2022 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,349,000 total viewers – down 4% (173,000 in 25-54 – down 23%)
CNN: 524,000 total viewers – up 7% (107,000 in 25-54 – up 7%)
MSNBC: 703,000 total viewers – up 7% (78,000 in 25-54 – up 5%)
PRIMETIME
FNC: 1,945,000 total viewers – down 13% (239,000 in 25-54- down 29%)
CNN: 629,000 total viewers – down 1% (144,000 in 25-54 – up 3%)
MSNBC: 1,047,000 total viewers – down 9% (109,000 in 25-54 – down 16%)
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.
