For First Time in TV History, a Non-Primetime Program, “The Five,” is the Most Watched in Cable News in the 25-54 Demo and Scores Second Year in a Row as Number One in Total Viewers
FNC Continues to Hold Largest Share of the Cable News Audience
FNC’s Primetime Lineup “The Ingraham Angle,” “Jesse Watters Primetime,” “Hannity” and “Gutfeld!” Dominate Cable News Across the Board
CNN Notches Lowest-Rated Year of All Time in 2023
MSNBC Suffers Least-Watched Year In Primetime 25-54 Demo since 1999
FOX News Media Hosted the Two Most-Watched Debates in the GOP Primary Season this Year
NEW YORK – December 14, 2023 – FOX News Channel (FNC) remained cable television’s most-watched network for the eighth consecutive year in 2023, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. Through the continued dominance of the hit program The Five, the launch of FNC’s new primetime lineup, coupled with the success of its daytime programming, the network maintained its number one spot in cable news. Additionally, the network had the largest share of the audience in total day (46%) and primetime (48%), capturing nearly half of the cable news landscape. In primetime, FNC delivered nearly 2 million viewers and 214,000 in 25-54 demo, topping CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewership. On a 24-hour total day basis, FNC averaged over 1.2 million viewers and 150,000 in 25-54, with a 153% advantage over CNN in viewers. FNC continued to sweep the competition, winning every hour in the 25-54 demo, as CNN marked the network’s lowest-rated year of all time, the second year in a row with a historic low. Additionally, MSNBC delivered its least-watched year in the primetime demo since 1999.
In commenting on the ratings, FOX News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “During yet another unprecedented news cycle, cable viewers continued to choose FOX News Channel. From moderating debates to reporting in war zones and many stories in between, I am honored to work alongside this unrivaled team of journalists and opinion hosts as they continue to exceed expectations.”
This year, FNC notched the top six most-watched cable news programs (The Five, Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, Special Report with Bret Baier, The Ingraham Angle and Gutfeld!). The network also garnered 13 out of the 15 highest-rated programs in cable news in the 25-54 demo, including The Five, Hannity, Gutfeld!, Jesse Watters Primetime, The Ingraham Angle, Special Report with Bret Baier, Outnumbered, The Faulkner Focus, America’s Newsroom, FOX News @ Night, America Reports, Your World with Neil Cavuto and The Story. FNC also had 12 of the top 15 rated shows in the 18-49 demo.
Additionally, the first Republican primary debate in August co-moderated by Special Report’s Bret Baier and The Story’s Martha MacCallum, was the most watched telecast of the year, averaging nearly 13 million viewers and 2,815,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping more than 70% of all presidential primary debates in the last two cycles (2016 and 2020). The second Republican Primary Debate, hosted by FOX Business Network and co-moderated by America’s Newsroom’s Dana Perino and FBN’s Varney & Co.’s Stuart Varney, averaged 9.5 million viewers and nearly 2 million in the 25-54 demo, with nearly 7 million viewers on FNC and over 1 million in the 25-54 demo.
FNC’s continuous breaking news coverage of the Israel-Hamas war has remained the highest-rated in cable news since the war began on October 7th. Delivering 1,261,000 viewers and 155,000 with 25-54 demo in total day and 1,936,000 viewers and 226,000 with 25-54 demo in primetime, the network saw a double- and triple-digit advantage over CNN’s 521,000 viewers and 104,000 25-54 demo for total day and 611,000 viewers and 139,000 25-54 demo in primetime.
For the first time in television history, a non-primetime cable program finished first in the 25-54 demo and notched its second consecutive year as cable’s highest-rated in total viewers as The Five continued to smash ratings records. FNC’s late afternoon program (weekdays, 5 PM/ET) drew cable news’ largest audience in viewers and the 25-54 demo, averaging 2.9 million viewers and 303,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s new primetime lineup crushed the cable news competition, kicking off with Laura Ingraham dominating the 7 PM/ET timeslot with 2 million viewers and 220,000 in 25-54 demo. At 8PM/ET, Jesse Watters Primetime (2.5 million P2+; 255,000 25-54) was the second most-watched cable news program in viewers and Hannity (weekdays at 9 PM/ET) drew the third largest audience with viewers and second in the 25-54 demo, delivering 2.4 million viewers and 271,000 in 25-54 demo. Notably, Sean Hannity’s DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate on November 30th netted over 5.5 million viewers and over one million in the 25-54 demo, with East and West Coast airings, making it the top-rated regularly scheduled telecast in the hour for the year.
FNC’s runaway late-night hit Gutfeld! (weekdays, 10 PM/ET) soared past the cable and broadcast competition, averaging 1.9 million viewers and 268,000 in 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! continued to disrupt the late-night landscape, outpacing broadcast shows CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and beating all of cable late night in viewers, 25-54 demo and the younger A18-49 demo. In cable news, Gutfeld! was the third most-watched show in the younger demo and dominated its timeslot.
At 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier featured several high-profile interviews in 2023, including exclusives with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and topped the ratings charts. FNC’s premier news program was the highest-rated in cable news in its hour, averaging 2.1 million viewers and 216,000 in 25-54 demo. FOX News @ Night topped the 11 PM/ET hour in its debut year with over 1 million viewers and 165,000 in 25-54.
From 6-9AM/ET, FOX & Friends continued to dominate the morning cable news landscape as the highest-rated morning show for the 22nd consecutive year with 1.1 million viewers and 147,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX & Friends also outpaced every primetime and daytime program on CNN for the year across the board in viewers. FNC’s early show FOX & Friends First (weekdays, 5-6 AM/ET) delivered 476,000 viewers and 76,000 in the 25-54 demo.
Leading FNC’s daytime news programming, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (9-11 AM/ET) averaged 1.5 million total viewers and 176,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing to dominate the cable news competition. Harris Faulkner’s The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET garnered an audience of 1.5 million total viewers and 185,000 in the 25-54 demo, topping CNN and MSNBC across the board. FNC’s Outnumbered, with co-hosts Harris Faulkner, Emily Compagno and Kayleigh McEnany, was the highest-rated cable news program at 12 PM/ET with 1.6 million viewers and 192,000 in 25-54 demo. Outnumbered continues to outpace the broadcast competition, beating Today with Hoda and Jenna, GMA3, The Talk, and NBC News Daily with total viewers. America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith (weekdays, 1-3 PM/ET) bested CNN and MSNBC, garnering 1.4 million viewers and 164,000 in 25-54 demo. The Story’s Martha MacCallum outranked CNN and MSNBC at 3 PM/ET with 1.4 million viewers and 161,000 in the 25-54 demo while Your World with Neil Cavuto was number one in the 25-54 demo at 4 PM/ET, with 164,000 viewers and 1.4 million total viewers.
FOX & Friends Weekend (6-10 AM/ET) topped the competition across the board with 1.1 million viewers and 145,000 in 25-54 demo. At 10 AM/ET Cavuto Live beat the competition, averaging 1.2 million viewers and 154,000 in 25-54 demo, finishing the year as the highest-rated Saturday cable news show in the demo. At 6 PM/ET on Saturdays, FOX Report with Jon Scott averaged 988,000 viewers and 94,000 in 25-54 demo. On weekends at 7 PM/ET, FNC’s The Big Weekend Show (988,000 P2+; 89,000 25-54) outpaced CNN and MSNBC on Saturdays and Sundays in total viewers.
During primetime on Saturdays, FNC remained the highest-rated cable news network as Life, Liberty and Levin finished the year in the number one spot in viewers at 8 PM/ET with over 1.2 million viewers and 105,000 in 25-54 demo. At 9 PM/ET, FNC’s One Nation with Brian Kilmeade outpaced CNN and MSNBC, averaging 1,012,000 viewers and 100,000 in 25-54 demo while FOX News Saturday Night also notched the number one spot at 10 PM/ET with 729,000 viewers and 78,000 in 25-54 demo.
On Sundays at 10 AM/ET, Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo drew the largest weekend cable news audience with 1.5 million viewers and 166,000 in 25-54 demo. At 11 AM/ET, MediaBuzz with Howard Kurtz, cable news’ only media watchdog program, delivered over 1.1 million and 136,000 in 25-54 demo. On Sunday evening, Life Liberty and Levin (8 PM/ET) topped CNN and MSNBC across the board with 1.4 million viewers and 103,000 in 25-54 demo while Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy beat the competition at 9 PM/ET, averaging 1,188,000 viewers and 88,000 in 25-54 demo.
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 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. Owned by Fox Corporation, FNC is available in more than 70 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top 10 programs in the genre.
