FOX News Channel Sweeps Total Day and Primetime Across Both Viewers and 25-54 Demo for Second Consecutive Month
FOX News Channel (FNC) continued its dominance in April 2021, ranking as the most-watched cable network across total day and primetime viewers, leading in the key 25-54 demographic. FNC attracted 1.2 million total viewers during the day and 2.2 million during primetime. Noteworthy programs included Gutfeld!, which became the top-rated cable program in its debut month, and Tucker Carlson Tonight, averaging 3 million viewers. FNC solidified its status as the leading cable news channel with significant viewer engagement, outperforming competitors CNN and MSNBC.
- FOX News Channel ranked as the most-watched cable network in April 2021.
- FNC's total day viewers were 1.2 million, with primetime viewers at 2.2 million.
- Gutfeld! debuted as the top-rated cable program, averaging 1.8 million viewers.
- Tucker Carlson Tonight averaged 3 million viewers, leading its timeslot.
- FNC claimed five of the top six cable news programs and 59 of the top 100 cable telecasts.
- Total day viewers decreased by 45% compared to April 2020.
- Total primetime viewers dropped by 39% year-over-year.
FOX News Channel (FNC) completed the most recent month of April as the most-watched cable network, sweeping the cable news competition in total day and primetime total viewers and in the key 25-54 demographic for the second consecutive month in 2021, according to Nielsen Media Research. In total day, FNC garnered 1.2 million viewers, 214,000 with A25-54 and 124,000 with A18-49 in April. In primetime, FNC delivered 2.2 million viewers, 368,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 232,000 with A18-49 for the month. The network remains the top-rated cable news channel year to date in both total day and primetime total viewers. During April, FNC claimed five of the top six cable news programs in overall viewers, four of the top five in the key 25-54 demo and comprised 59 of the top 100 cable telecasts.
Host Greg Gutfeld’s new weekday program Gutfeld!, moved to a new timeslot at 11PM/ET at the beginning of April and finished its inaugural month as the number one-rated program in all of cable in total viewers. The strong debut surpassed various broadcast and cable late night comedy programs as well as every CNN program in total viewers. In Nielsen’s Live+3 measurement, Gutfeld! tops Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in total viewers, averaging 1.8 million viewers and 351,000 in A25-54. The program also crushed Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, TBS’ Conan and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee across the board in total viewers and the younger A25-54 demo in both Live+SD and Live+3.
At 8PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight completed the month as the top-rated program in its timeslot in all categories, averaging 3 million viewers and 523,000 in the demo, as well as 332,000 in the 18-49 category. Additionally, the show dominated several entertainment and news programs on broadcast in total viewers, including ABC’s This Week and NBC’s Meet The Press. At 9PM/ET, Hannity took the second highest-rated spot in the demo, averaging 449,000 viewers as well as 2.7 million total viewers and 282,000 among adults 18-49, and surpassing MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show and CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time across the board. The Ingraham Angle at 10PM/ET garnered 2.1 million viewers, 379,000 in the 25-54 demo and 239,000 in 18-49 and rounded out the top five programs in total viewers and in the demo for the month.
Among FNC’s early and late evening programming, The Five (5PM/ET) dominated the month during the 5PM/ET hour and finished April as the second most-watched program with 2.7 million viewers and 431,000 in the 25-54 demo, propelled by breaking news coverage of the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict. The Five surpassed ABC’s The View, NBC’s 3rd Hour of TODAY and NBA Saturday basketball in overall viewers. Special Report with Bret Baier was number one in its timeslot (weeknights, 6PM/ET) among total viewers for the month, garnering 1.8 million viewers and 298,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 7PM/ET, FOX News Primetime, guest-hosted by various rotating guest hosts, averaged 1.6 million viewers, 278,000 in the 25-54 demo throughout April. At its new 12AM/ET timeslot, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream had an average audience of 960,000 viewers and 207,000 in the 25-54 demo for the month.
From 4-6AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST garnered 456,000 viewers during the month of April, while FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9AM/ET) ended the month as the highest-rated cable morning show in both categories for the first time since November 2020. The program earned 1.2 million viewers and 221,000 in the demo, surpassing CNN’s New Day and MSNBC’s Morning Joe across both categories for the entire month.
FNC’s daytime lineup, kicking off with the two-hour morning news program America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11AM/ET), was the top-rated in its timeslot with 1.4 million viewers and 242,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.3 million viewers and 214,000 in the 25-54 demo, capturing a win against the competition in total viewers. At 12PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.4 million viewers and 228,000 in the demo. From 1-3PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.2 million viewers and 211,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3PM/ET, anchor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.2 million viewers and 199,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4PM/ET nabbed 1.3 million viewers and 222,000 in the 25-54 category for the month.
On the weekends, FNC swept the competition, besting CNN and MSNBC on Saturday and Sunday with total day and primetime across both categories. Saturday’s primetime powerhouse lineup crushed the competition, each sweeping their respective timeslots and beating the cable news competition combined in total viewers for the month. Watters’ World (Saturdays at 8PM/ET) earned the number one program in total viewers, with 1.8 million and 198,000 in the demo. Justice with Judge Jeanine (Saturdays at 9PM/ET) followed as the next most-watched, with 1.7 million viewers and 203,000 in the demo. Cavuto Live airing on Saturday mornings earned 1.1 million viewers and 184,000 in the demo.
On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays at 10AM/ET) crushed its timeslot, earning the number one spot in the demo for the month with 252,000 and 1.5 million total viewers. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11AM/ET, delivered 1.3 million viewers and 201,000 in the 25-54 demo. Notably, MediaBuzz surpassed CNN’s Reliable Sources in both total viewers and the demo for the month of April. The CNN program notched a yearly low with its lowest-rated month to date in 2021 in both categories, failing to crack even one million viewers in April (917,000 P2+; 190,000 A25-54), down double digits month over month and losing nearly half its viewership in both total viewers and in the demo since January. At 8PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin was the number one-rated program on Sundays for the month, earning 1.6 million viewers and 189,000 in the demo, while The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton (Sunday at 9PM/ET) secured 1.3 million viewers and 193,000 in the demo. FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends from 6-10AM/ET) dominated CNN and MSNBC every hour in total viewers during the month, with 1.1 million and 208,000 in the demo. Additionally, FOX Report with Jon Scott (840,000 viewers; 113,000 A25-54) surpassed MSNBC in its timeslot (weekends at 6PM/ET).
APRIL 2021 VS. APRIL 2020 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,218,000 total viewers – down
CNN: 786,000 total viewers – down
MSNBC: 953,000 total viewers – down
PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,236,000 total viewers – down
CNN: 1,030,000 total viewers – down
MSNBC: 1,581,000 total viewers – down
APRIL 2021 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,023,000), The Five (2,733,000), Hannity (2,730,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (2,708,000), The Ingraham Angle (2,071,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (523,000), Hannity (449,000), The Five (431,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (396,000), The Ingraham Angle (379,000)
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 19 consecutive years. According to a 2021 Brand Keys Consumer 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 nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210427005999/en/
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