FOX News Channel Earns Highest-Rated Primetime Monthly Average in the History of Cable Led by Tucker Carlson Tonight
FOX News Channel (FNC) concluded October as the most-watched cable network, marking 52 consecutive months in top spot. FNC achieved its highest-rated October on record, led by Tucker Carlson Tonight, which broke viewership records with over 5.3 million viewers. The network saw a year-over-year increase of 57% in total day viewers and 83% in primetime. FNC claimed 69 of the top 100 telecasts and outperformed CNN by 65% in total viewership. All key programs in primetime set new ratings milestones, further solidifying FNC's position in cable news.
- Achieved highest-rated October on record.
- Total day viewers increased by 57% year-over-year.
- Primetime viewers rose by 83% compared to last year.
- Tucker Carlson Tonight set a new record with over 5.3 million viewers.
- None.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the month of October as the most-watched cable network in both total day and primetime total viewers (Persons 2+), notching 52 months in a row in the top spot across all of basic cable in total day. FNC also saw its highest-rated October on record, marking the 10th consecutive month this year the network has finished number one in all of cable across primetime total viewers led by Tucker Carlson Tonight at 8PM/ET. The program marked a new record this month, earning the highest-rated monthly viewership of any program in the history of cable news. Tucker Carlson Tonight also secured the number one spot in all of cable news across all categories, garnering over 5.3 million viewers, 1 million in the key demographic, and 670,000 in the 18-49 demo, beating the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell. In the A25-54 demographic, Tucker Carlson Tonight hit yet another milestone as the first primetime program to reach 1 million viewers in the 25-54 demo since September 2008. Surpassing every broadcast network in total viewers and continues to remain the number one network in all of television in primetime Memorial Day-to-date, FNC also notched the number one spot in all of television in weekday primetime with Carlson and Sean Hannity each outperforming ABC’s The Bachelorette, The Conners, Celebrity Family Feud and NBC’s The Weakest Link.
Marking 226 consecutive months as the top-rated cable news network in total day and primetime across total viewers, FNC continued to deliver a double-digit percent advantage over both MSNBC and CNN. In total day, FNC garnered 2.3 million viewers, 428,000 with A25-54 and 274,000 in the A18-49 demo, holding a 65 percent advantage over CNN in total viewers. The network also delivered the second highest-rated total day viewership in the history of cable news, coming only behind its own coverage of the Iraq War in April 2003. In primetime, FNC delivered 4.9 million viewers, 971,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 670,000 in the A18-49 demo, and widened its advantage over CNN by 99 percent. The network also claimed the number one spot in total viewers as well as both younger demographics in the 9AM-5PM/ET dayside hours. In October, the FNC claimed 69 of the top 100 cable telecasts in total viewers and delivered 32 telecasts with over 5 million total viewers. FNC also comprised the top two telecasts in all of cable during special coverage of both presidential debates. Notably, FNC’s primetime lineup, including Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, and The Ingraham Angle, all earned their highest-rated months in history in both total viewers and in the demo. Additionally, FOX News @ Night with anchor Shannon Bream also secured the program’s highest-rated month in overall viewers. Delivering increases of 57 percent in total day and 83 percent in primetime year-over-year, FNC also led all of cable in upscale viewers (income of 100K+) in both weekday total day and primetime among total viewers and the key 25-54 demographic. Additionally, FNC ranked number one in cable news in length of tune across primetime total viewers and in the 25-54 advertiser-coveted demographic.
FNC’s primetime powerhouse lineup swept the top spots in cable news across the board and the weekday lineup surpassed broadcast in primetime summer to date. At 9PM/ET, Hannity followed as the second most-watched program across the board with 5.1 million viewers, nearly 1 million in the 25-54 demo (982,000), and 657,000 in the 18-49 demo. Hannity also recorded the program’s highest-rated month across both categories since the program launched. Both Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight made cable news history as the two highest-rated primetime cable news programs ever for an entire month. Additionally, both programs marked nine straight months of averaging over 4 million viewers overall and delivered over 5 million viewers for the first time ever in October, the first time a cable news network has ever averaged nearly 5 million viewers in primetime. Tucker Carlson Tonight also edged out CBS Evening News in both categories, while Hannity surpassed the broadcast news program in the younger 25-54 demo.
The Ingraham Angle also made cable news history, earning the highest-rated primetime program for a female host. The program crushed the 10PM/ET timeslot with over 4 million viewers and 760,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing the competition in both categories and hitting a new milestone earning over 4 million viewers for the first time ever, making The Ingraham Angle the most-watched 10PM/ET program in cable news ever. The Ingraham Angle also secured its highest-rated month in both total viewers and in the key demo this month, handedly surpassing MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow as the most-watched woman in cable news. Additionally, FNC’s entire primetime lineup remains up double-digits year over year, with Tucker Carlson Tonight seeing increases of 66 percent with total viewers and a whopping 93 percent with A25-54, Hannity up 37 percent in total viewers and 50 percent with A25-54, and The Ingraham Angle experiencing a 42 percent increase with total viewers and 60 percent with A25-54.
Chief political anchor Bret Baier’s Special Report (weekdays, 6PM/ET) continued to deliver another strong month with 3.5 million viewers and 604,000 in the demo. At 5PM/ET, The Five remained the dominant program for the hour, earning primetime-like numbers with 4.1 million viewers and 673,000 in the 25-54 demographic, beating out every program on the CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 7PM/ET, The Story with Martha MacCallum won its timeslot in all categories over the cable news competition, notching 3.2 million viewers and 625,000 in the key demo. The program also surpassed CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show with both younger demos. In comparison, The Story beat MSNBC’s heavily-promoted show The ReidOut by 71 percent with the younger A18-49 demographic.
Beginning the day, FOX & Friends FIRST (weekdays, 4-6AM/ET) was the number one show in its timeslot, garnering 737,000 total viewers. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (6-9AM/ET) delivered 1.9 million viewers and 343,000 in 25-54, beating out CNN’s New Day and MSNBC’s Morning Joe in all categories. The network’s three-hour morning news offering, America’s Newsroom (9AM-12PM/ET) notched nearly 2.2 million viewers and 372,000 in the demo.
FNC’s afternoon ensemble program, Outnumbered (12PM/ET), averaged 2.3 million viewers and 387,000 in the demo, and at 1PM/ET, Outnumbered Overtime anchored by Harris Faulkner, scored 2.1 million viewers and 375,000 in the 25-54 demo, beating ABC in total viewers a record 54 weeks since 3Q’19. The program also outpaced MSNBC’s MTP Daily which averaged a paltry 1.5 million viewers and 232,000 in the demo. At 2PM/ET, The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino delivered 2.2 million viewers and 405,000 with A25-54, while Bill Hemmer Reports, averaged 2.2 million viewers 401,000 in the demo during the 3PM/ET hour. Your World with Neil Cavuto brought in 2.4 million viewers and 415,000 with A25-54, outpacing MSNBC’s Deadline: White House in both categories (2.3 million P2+; 322,000 A25-54). In the evening, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream saw an audience of 2.3 million viewers and 476,000 in the key demo while also experiencing the program’s highest rated month in total viewers since program launch.
On the weekends, FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 6-10AM/ET) dominated CNN and MSNBC in total viewers, with 1.7 million viewers and 290,000 in the 25-54 demo. Saturday’s primetime lineup of Watters’ World (Saturdays, 8PM/ET; nearly 3.3 million total viewers and 452,000 in the demo), Justice with Judge Jeanine (Saturdays, 9PM/ET; 3.3 million total viewers and 433,000 in the demo) and The Greg Gutfeld Show (Saturdays, 10PM/ET; 2.9 million total viewers and 470,000 in the demo) surpassed CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewers. The Greg Gutfeld Show was also the most-watched late night program in all of television in total viewership, surpassing all late-night programs on broadcast including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and NBC’s The Tonight Show. Justice with Judge Jeanine was the top-rated program for the month in total viewers, while The Greg Gutfeld Show captured the key demo.
Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10AM/ET) took the number one spot in its timeslot, averaging 2.5 million viewers and 412,000 in the demo, also earning the top spot in the key demo on Sundays for the month. MediaBuzz hosted by Howard Kurtz (Sundays, 11AM/ET) delivered nearly 2.2 million viewers and 395,000 in the 25-54 category, propelling another win over CNN’s Reliable Sources across the board (1.5 million P2+; 301,000 25-54), with a 46 percent advantage over CNN in viewers and a 31 percent advantage in the key demo. Additionally, CAVUTO Live (2 million P2+; 357,000 A25-54), FOX Report with Jon Scott (1.9 million P2+; 291,000 A25-54) and The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton (nearly 2.3 million P2+; 342,000 A25-54), led the way in their respective timeslots, while Life, Liberty and Levin at 8PM/ET also notched 2.7 million viewers and 390,000 with A25-54. Meanwhile, Maria Bartiromo’s 10PM/ET special The Cost airing on Sunday, October 25th also dominated the cable news competition (1.9 million P2+; 317,000 A25-54).
OCTOBER 2020 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Tucker Carlson Tonight (5,359,000), Hannity (5,119,000), The Five (4,102,000), Ingraham Angle (4,065,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (3,696,000),
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (1,003,000), Hannity (982,000), The Ingraham Angle (760,000), The Five (673,000), The Story (625,000)
OCTOBER’20 VS. OCTOBER’19 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 2,278,000 total viewers – up
CNN: 1,378,000 total viewers – up
MSNBC: 1,467,000 total viewers – up
PRIMETIME: 8-11PM/ET
FNC: 4,900,000 total viewers – up
CNN: 2,462,000 total viewers – up
MSNBC: 2,700,000 total viewers – up
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 more than 18 consecutive years. According to a 2020 Brand Keys Consumer Loyalty Engagement Index report, FOX News is the top brand in the country for morning and evening news coverage. 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 nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
