Fox News Channel continued its dominance in television during July, outperforming all broadcast networks in prime-time, according to data from Nielsen Media Research released on Tuesday.
In July, the network averaged 2.4 million viewers in prime-time, making it the highest‑rated network across all television, surpassing NBC (2.1 million viewers), CBS (2 million viewers) and ABC (2 million viewers). During weekday prime-time, Fox News also led all television with 2.8 million viewers, exceeding NBC’s 2.4 million, CBS’s 2 million and ABC’s 2 million.
From the first day of summer on June 20, Fox News held the prime-time lead with 2.6 million viewers, compared to ABC’s 2.3 million, NBC’s 2.1 million and CBS’s 2 million.
Throughout July, in the 8–11 p.m. ET prime-time window, Fox News delivered 2.4 million viewers and 257,000 in the 25–54 demographic. Across the total day, the network drew 1.5 million viewers and 184,000 in the 25–54 demographic. Fox News claimed 63 percent of the total day cable news share and 64 percent during prime-time, significantly outperforming CNN and MSNBC, both of which declined by double‑digits year‑over‑year in total day and prime-time ratings and demographics.
For CNN, it was one of the network’s lowest-rated Julys in network history within the 25–54 demographic. The network averaged 62,000 viewers in total day ratings and 92,000 viewers in prime-time ratings. Still, CNN ended July as one of the top five cable networks overall, the Nielsen ratings proved.
Fox News placed 148 of the top cable news telecasts in July and has now commanded the top 1,398 post‑election telecasts. CNN, with 497,000 prime-time viewers, trailed even HGTV, which drew 586,000. Fox News also ranked number one among Asian, Hispanic and upscale viewers across total day in July.
Fox News flagship program “The Five” secured 3.5 million viewers and 378,000 viewers in the 25–54 demographic, leading all cable and surpassing CBS’s “Big Brother” (3.1 million). At 8 p.m. ET, “Jesse Watters Primetime” led all prime-time shows with 3.1 million viewers and 323,000 viewers in the 25–54 demographic, outperforming ABC’s “Press Your Luck” (2.7 million) and NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” (2.6 million).
In late night, “Gutfeld!” posted 2.9 million viewers, 327,000 viewers in the 25–54 demographic and 207,000 viewers in the 18–49 demographic. It outpaced CBS’s “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (2.2 million; 303,000 A25‑54; 189,000 A18‑49), ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (1.1 million; 202,000 A25‑54; 136,000 A18‑49), NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (1 million; 242,000 A25‑54; 145,000 A18‑49), “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (713,000; 155,000 A25‑54; 89,000 A18‑49), and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” (507,000; 154,000 A25‑54; 142,000 A18‑49).
At 9 p.m. ET, “Hannity” drew 2.7 million viewers and 302,000 in the 25–54 demographic, topping key broadcast offerings such as ABC’s Good Morning America (2.6 million), This Week (2.4 million) and 20/20 Friday (1.9 million). Meanwhile, “The Ingraham Angle” at 7 p.m. ET recorded 2.5 million viewers and 266,000 in the 25–54 demographic, cementing Laura Ingraham’s status as the highest‑rated woman in cable news.
Fox News’s Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights at 6 p.m. ET) averaged more than 2.6 million viewers and 288,000 in the 25–54 demographic, narrowing the competitive gap. It led the “CBS Evening News” in 19 markets and outpaced ABC’s “World News Tonight” and “NBC Nightly News” in other key markets across the country.
The network’s morning staple “Fox & Friends” (weekdays 6–9 AM ET) drew 1.3 million viewers and 169,000 in the 25–54 demographic, retaining its position as the number‑one cable news morning program for 53 consecutive months. It led CBS Mornings in 21 major markets, topped ABC’s Good Morning America in 14 and defeated NBC’s The Today Show in eight markets in July.
Over the weekend, Fox News won every hour in both total viewers and the 25–54 demographic, defeating CNN and MSNBC by margins of two to three percentage points.
The Fox News Channel is part of Fox News Media, a unit of Fox Corporation.
