“The Five” Dominates Cable News Across All Categories
FNC Secures 88 of the Top 100 Cable News Telecasts in May
CNN Sees Third Lowest-Rated Month in Network History with Prime A25-54 Dating Back to 1997
NEW YORK – May 31, 2023 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished May 2023 as the leading cable news network across total day and primetime with viewers and the A25-54 demographic and led all of cable with total day viewers all for the 27th consecutive month. Delivering 88 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the month, FNC notched 1.1 million viewers, 126,000 in the 25-54 demo and 75,000 in the 18-49 demo in total day. In primetime, FNC netted 1.4 million viewers, 135,000 in the 25-54 demo and 84,000 with the 18-49 demo. The network secured the top seven programs in cable news with viewers and the top 10 cable news programs in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s The Five was the top show in all categories for the month of May. On Saturday, Cavuto Live was the most-watched cable news program for the month, while Life, Liberty & Levin led cable news with viewers on Sunday. Notably, CNN posted its third worst month in history with Prime A25-54, dating back to 1997.
Attracting 42% of cable news viewers across primetime and 45% in total day, FNC continued to lead the genre’s audience share. According to Nielsen MRI-Simmons Fusion, FNC also remains the most-watched network across the political spectrum with more Independents, Democrats and Republicans choosing FNC as their preferred network than MSNBC and CNN across total day and primetime. FNC was also the top cable news network with upscale viewers across the board.
FNC’s 5 PM/ET roundtable program The Five was once again the top program in cable news with over 2.6 million viewers and 276,000 with A25-54. Evening newscast Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged over 1.8 million viewers and 187,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 7 PM/ET, FNC’s Jesse Watters Primetime finished as the second highest-rated cable news program averaging 2.1 million viewers and 194,000 in the 25-54 demo.
At 8 PM/ET FOX News Tonight was the top cable news program of the hour with 1,515,000 viewers, 151,000 with A25-54. Hannity at 9 PM/ET garnered over 1.9 million viewers, 178,000 in the 25-54 demo achieving the third most-watched program in cable news, outpacing the competition on MSNBC and CNN across the board. Comparatively, CNN averaged just 453,000 viewers and 112,000 with A25-54 at 9 PM. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle averaged 1.6 million viewers and 177,000 in the 25-54 demo continuing her streak as the most-watched woman in cable news. At 11 PM/ET, Gutfeld! secured 1.7 million viewers and 224,000 in 25-54 and was notably second in the younger demo in all of cable news. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night, anchored by Trace Gallagher, surpassed the competition, delivering 845,000 viewers and 125,000 with A25-54.
FOX & Friends First garnered 433,000 viewers and 64,000 with A25-54 while FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends finished May with 1.1 million viewers and 144,000 in the demo, easily outpacing CNN This Morning and MSNBC’s Morning Joe across both categories. In fact, the program beat every offering on CNN in total viewers. CNN This Morning averaged just 358,000 viewers and 78,000 with A25-54 in May. FOX & Friends continued to make its mark as the number one cable news program in the mornings in both categories for the 25th consecutive month.
Kicking off FNC’s daytime lineup, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), delivered 1.4 million viewers and 158,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.3 million viewers and 166,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.4 million viewers and 173,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna and ABC’s GMA3 with viewers. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.2 million viewers and 140,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor and executive editor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.1 million viewers and 135,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed over 1.1 million viewers and 134,000 in the 25-54 category for the month.
FNC continued to excel against the competition on weekends throughout the month, outpacing CNN and MSNBC across total day and primetime with viewers. On Saturday, Cavuto Live (Saturdays, 10 AM/ET) was the most-watched of the day with 1.1 million viewers, and 138,000 with A25-54. In fact, Cavuto Live leads 2023 as the most-watched Saturday program for the year in viewers. FOX & Friends Weekend (Saturdays, 6-10 AM/ET) was the top show in the younger demo with 157,000 viewers with A25-54, seeing month-over-month gains with A25-54. At 9 PM/ET Lawrence Jones Cross Country was the top cable news program in primetime with 1 million viewers and 98,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET, One Nation with Brian Kilmeade secured 814,000 viewers and 78,000 with A25-54. Additionally, The FOX Report with Jon Scott (weekends, 6 PM/ET) averaged over 878,000 viewers and 77,000 with A25-54.
On Sundays, FNC defeated CNN and MSNBC combined with primetime viewers. FNC’s Life, Liberty and Levin (Sundays, 8 PM/ET) earned the top-rated spot with viewers for the entire weekend, with over 1.4 million viewers. At 10 AM/ET, Sunday Morning Futures nabbed the top show in the younger 25-54 demo with 126,000, while delivering 1.3 million total viewers. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, pulled in 1 million viewers and 104,000 in the 25-54 demo. Meanwhile, FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays 7-8 PM/ET), outpaced every CNN and MSNBC weekend program with viewers drawing an audience of 1.2 million viewers. At 9 PM/ET, The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton secured 1 million viewers and 69,000 in the 25-54 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 million viewers and 123,000 with A25-54. At 12 PM/ET, FOX News Live (804,000 P2+; 96,000 A25-54) beat MSNBC’s Inside with Jen Psaki (761,000 P2+; 83,000 A25-54) across the board.
MAY 2023 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: The Five (2,627,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (2,137,000), Hannity (1,914,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (1,813,000) and Gutfeld! (1,651,000)
Adults 25-54: The Five (276,000), Gutfeld! (224,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (194,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (187,000) and Hannity (178,000)
MAY 2023 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,087,000 total viewers; 126,000 A25-54
CNN: 416,000 total viewers; 84,000 A25-54
MSNBC: 736,000 total viewers; 85,000 A25-54
PRIMETIME
FNC: 1,417,000 total viewers; 135,000 A25-54
CNN: 494,000 total viewers; 113,000 A25-54
MSNBC: 1,160,000 total viewers; 120,000 A25-54
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 in the genre.
