FNC Tops the Cable News Competition Combined in Primetime and Total Day Viewers and A25-54 for Fourth Consecutive Month
FNC Delivers Highest-Rated Cable News Share in Total Day Demo Since 2004
“Tucker Carlson Tonight” Notches Number One Program in Total Viewers and A25-54
“Gutfeld!” Bests MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show” with Both Total Viewers and Key Demo for First Time Since Launch
NEW YORK – December 1, 2021 – FOX News Channel (FNC) continued its ratings dominance for the month of November securing 71 of the top 100 cable telecasts, while CNN and MSNBC had none. According to Nielsen Media Research, FNC occupied more than half the audience share in total day viewership (57%) and the 25-54 demographic (59%) and in primetime viewers (60%) and the 25-54 demographic (59%). In fact, this was FNC’s highest cable news share in total day with A25-54 since 2004, and third best month since the channel came on the air 25 years ago. Notably, this was FNC’s best month with total day and primetime viewers since November 2020. Additionally, all FNC weekday shows are up month over month in all categories. FNC delivered 14 of the top 15 cable news programs in overall viewers, along with the top 14 programs in the younger 25-54 demo. FNC remained the most-watched network in cable news, sweeping the competition in both total day and primetime viewers, beating CNN and MSNBC combined in both total day and primetime across all categories. From 8-11 PM/ET, FNC delivered 2,578,000 viewers, 420,000 in the 25-54 demo and 275,000 with A18-49. In total day, FNC garnered 1,544,000 viewers, 264,000 with the key 25-54 demo and 171,000 with A18-49. This also marks the ninth consecutive month FNC has been the number one cable network with total day viewers.
Notably, FNC beat CNN by 294% in primetime viewers and 184% in primetime with A25-54, notching its largest percent advantage over CNN in total day viewers and 25-54 demo since 2014. FNC topped MSNBC by 136% in primetime total viewers and 200% with A25-54. In fact, November marked the fourth straight month FNC beat CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewers and with A25-54. FNC saw its greatest advantage over CNN and MSNBC in weekday primetime since August 2015. In addition to FNC, CNN and MSNBC were also beat by Hallmark, HGTV, FOOD Network and Paramount in total day and primetime with A25-54. Both networks ranked outside the top 25 in the primetime 25-54 demo. CNN also saw its lowest-rated month in primetime with total viewers since 2015, meanwhile MSNBC had its worst month in this category since 2016. At 9 PM/ET, Cuomo Prime Time experienced its lowest-rated month with total viewers since the program’s inception in 2017. FNC held its greatest percent advantage (238%) over MSNBC with total day A25-54 since 2005.
At 8 PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight, which was powered by the show’s exclusive interview with Kyle Rittenhouse, was the highest-rated program in all categories delivering 3,667,000 viewers, 651,000 with A25-54 and 431,000 in A18-49. At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s The Five was the second highest-rated cable news show across the board averaging 3,512,000 viewers, 557,000 with A25-54 as well as 353,000 in the 18-49 category. Hannity at 9 PM/ET followed closely behind, averaging 3,234,000 viewers, 541,000 in the 25-54 demo and 353,000 among adults 18-49. Special Report with Bret Baier (weekdays, 6 PM/ET) garnered 2,768,000 viewers, 475,000 in the 25-54 demo and 299,000 in 18-49 for the month. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle rounded out the top five in cable news with 2,657,000 million viewers, 469,000 with A25-54 and 303,000 with A18-49. FOX News Primetime at 7 PM/ET averaged 2.4 million viewers, 427,000 with A25-54 and 262,000 with A18-49. FNC delivered seven programs that exceeded 2 million viewers for the month, while CNN and MSNBC had none. Tucker Carlson Tonight and The Five also beat a number of broadcast shows including, ABC’s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, The Conners and The Goldbergs.
Greg Gutfeld’s late-night program Gutfeld! finished November as the number one rated show in all of basic cable television in total viewers at 11 PM/ET, and ranked in the top 10 overall with 1,983,000 viewers, 388,000 with A25-54 demo and 260,000 in 18-49 demo. Gutfeld! topped ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! in both categories and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in total viewers. In addition to surpassing every CNN program in total viewers for the month, Gutfeld! also beat every show on MSNBC in all categories including The Rachel Maddow Show for the first time since launch. In fact, this was the lowest-rated month in P2+ The Rachel Maddow Show has delivered in 2021. Since it debuted, Gutfeld! has continued to increase viewership among all categories each month, posting gains in total viewers (+7%), A25-54 (+14%) and A18-49(+20%) this month versus October 2021. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream had an average audience of 1,193,000 viewers and 265,000 in the 25-54 demo.
From 4-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST with new co-host Carley Shimkus joining Todd Piro, garnered 580,000 viewers. FNC’s FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) marked its eighth straight month as the top-rated cable news morning show across the board with 1,441,000 viewers and 225,000 in the 25-54 demo, easily outpacing CNN’s New Day and MSNBC’s Morning Joe across both categories. Meanwhile, CNN’s sixth relaunch attempt of New Day delivered a meager 363,000 viewers and 74,000 in the coveted 25-54 demo, giving the show its worst week of the year. In fact, FNC’s FOX & Friends nearly quadrupled New Day in total viewers and more than tripled the program in the 25-54 younger demo.
FNC’s daytime lineup, kicking off with a two-hour morning news program America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), saw 1,885,000 viewers and 311,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1,864,000 viewers and 314,000 in the 25-54 demo, besting CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 2,038,000 viewers and 359,000 in the demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1,875,000 viewers and 343,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1,870,000 million viewers and 338,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1,847,000 viewers and 326,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s daytime lineup topped several offerings across broadcast including Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom, America Reports, The Story and The Faulkner Focus all beating NBC’s Today with Hoda & Jenna (10 AM/ET), ABC’s GMA3 (1 PM/ET) and CBS’s The Talk (2 PM/ET) in total viewers.
Once again, FNC continued its dominance throughout the weekend in November, beating CNN and MSNBC combined in both categories during total day and primetime. FNC’s Saturday primetime powerhouse lineup swept their respective timeslots and earned the top three highest-rated programs, outpacing all cable news competition in both total viewers and in the demo for the month. FNC’s Watters’ World hosted by Jesse Watters (Saturdays at 8 PM/ET) earned the number one program in total viewers for the weekend, with 1,953,000 viewers and 241,000 in the demo. Justice with Judge Jeanine (Saturdays at 9 PM/ET) followed as the next most-watched on the weekend in viewers, with 1,856,000 and 233,000 in the 25-54 demo. Unfiltered with Dan Bongino (Saturdays at 10 PM/ET), easily trounced CNN and MSNBC across the board, delivering 1,588,000 viewers and 225,000 with A25-54. Cavuto Live (Saturdays at 10 AM/ET) saw its best month of the year in both categories with 1,381,000 viewers and 240,000 with A25-54.
On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10 AM/ET) earned the top-rated spot in cable news for the weekend in the 25-54 demo with 252,000 viewers. The show was also the most-watched cable news program on Sunday with 1,850,000 viewers. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, delivered 1,474,000 viewers and 211,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing CNN’s Reliable Sources (632,000 viewers and 81,000 with A25-54) with ease. This marked the top-rated month of the year for MediaBuzz with total viewers. Notably, CNN’s Reliable Sources notched its lowest-rated month of 2021 across both categories, down double-digits versus October with A25-54 and drawing less than 1 million viewers for the eighth consecutive month. FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 7 PM/ET), trounced every CNN and MSNBC program in total viewers, drawing an audience of 1,462,000 viewers and 174,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin earned 1,540,000 viewers and 181,000 in the demo, while The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton (Sundays, 9 PM/ET) secured 1,216,0000 viewers and 157,000 in the demo. FOX & Friends Weekend (Weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) dominated CNN and MSNBC every hour in both categories for the month, earning 1,378,000 viewers and 210,000 in the demo. Additionally, FOX Report with Jon Scott (1,065,000 viewers; 135,000 A25-54) surpassed the cable news competition in its timeslot.
NOVEMBER 2021 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,667,000), The Five (3,512,000) Hannity (3,234,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,768,000), The Ingraham Angle (2,657,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (651,000), The Five (557,000), Hannity (541,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (475,000), The Ingraham Angle (469,000)
NOVEMBER 2021 VS. NOVEMBER 2020 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,544,000 total viewers – down 20% (264,000 in 25-54 – down 36%)
CNN: 495,000 total viewers – down 72% (108,000 in 25-54 – down 81%)
MSNBC: 660,000 total viewers – down 58% (78,000 in 25-54 – down 74%)
PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,578,000 total viewers – down 35% (420,000 in 25-54 – down 49%)
CNN: 654,000 total viewers – down 77% (148,000 in 25-54 – down 84%)
MSNBC: 1,091,000 total viewers – down 59% (140,000 in 25-54 – down 74%)
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most watched television news channel for nearly 20 consecutive years. According to a 2021 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report, FOX News leads the news industry in both brand loyalty, engagement and expectations. A 2019 Suffolk University poll also named FOX News as the most trusted source for television news or commentary, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. Owned by FOX Corp, FNC is available in 80 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
