Fox News Channel delivered the highest-rated Independence Day coverage in its history as the network’s 11-day America 250 programming initiative culminated with wall-to-wall Fourth of July broadcasts that topped competing cable news networks and surpassed CBS in prime-time total viewers, according to early Nielsen data.
In a press release, the network said its Independence Day coverage averaged 3.3 million viewers during prime-time and 2.2 million viewers across the full broadcast day, marking the strongest Independence Day performance in Fox News history.
Fox News’ special live coverage from Washington, D.C., which aired from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern and was anchored by Bret Baier, Sean Hannity, Dana Perino, Harris Faulkner and Brian Kilmeade, averaged 3.7 million viewers and 497,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 54. According to Nielsen, the coverage accounted for 73 percent of the cable news audience during the six-hour special.
The evening’s highest audience occurred during President Donald Trump’s speech between 11:15 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. Eastern, when Fox News drew 5.5 million viewers and 817,000 adults in the key advertising demographic. During the same period, CNN averaged 1.2 million viewers and 303,000 adults ages 25-54, while MS NOW attracted 381,000 viewers and 70,000 adults in the demographic.
Across the July 4 prime-time period from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern, Fox News averaged 3.3 million viewers, ahead of CBS, which attracted 2 million viewers. Fox News also significantly outperformed its cable news competitors, with CNN averaging 1.2 million viewers and MS NOW drawing 317,000 viewers.
The network also posted strong audiences during its July 3 programming. Fox News averaged 2.7 million viewers during prime-time and 1.7 million viewers across total day.
Coverage of the Times Square ball drop from 11:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Eastern on July 3 averaged 2.1 million viewers, allowing Fox News to edge ABC, which averaged 1.8 million viewers during the same time period.
The Independence Day programming capped an extended America 250 initiative that originated from multiple locations between June 24 and July 4. Over the course of the 11-day event, Fox News averaged 2.4 million viewers during prime-time and 1.6 million viewers across total day.
The audience figures are based on Nielsen’s early out-of-home panel data, which includes viewing outside the home in addition to traditional in-home television audiences.
