Fox News finished August as the most-watched cable news network in total day and primetime, while also outpacing several broadcast networks in weekday primetime during the summer months, according to Nielsen data shared by the network.
Fox News averaged 1.354 million total viewers across total day during August, compared with 599,000 viewers for MS NOW and 439,000 for CNN. In primetime, Fox News averaged 2.126 million viewers, ahead of MS NOW’s 940,000 viewers and CNN’s 624,000 viewers.
The network held nearly 60 percent of the cable news viewing share in both total day and primetime during the month. Fox News also delivered the top 147 cable news telecasts in August among total viewers and ranked first among cable networks in total day with Asian, Hispanic and upscale viewers.
During the summer period between June and August, Fox News averaged 2.56 million viewers in weekday primetime, making it the second highest-rated network in all of television and finishing ahead of NBC, which averaged 2.5 million viewers, ABC with 2.3 million viewers and CBS with 2 million viewers.
ABC recorded its lowest-rated primetime month this century among adults 25-54, averaging 344,000 viewers in the demographic, according to the network’s summary of Nielsen data. CBS posted its lowest-rated August weekday primetime on record with fewer than 2.1 million viewers. “CBS Mornings” averaged 1.6 million viewers, while “CBS Evening News” remained below 4 million viewers for the fifth consecutive month.
“The Five” was the top-rated cable news program in August, averaging 3.283 million viewers. The program also led all of cable and exceeded broadcast programs including NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior,” which averaged 2.7 million viewers.
“Jesse Watters Primetime” ranked second among cable news programs with 2.873 million viewers. The program’s August 24 interview with Democratic Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed drew nearly 3.4 million viewers, making it the top cable news primetime telecast of the month, according to Fox News.
“Gutfeld!” averaged 2.510 million viewers, while “Special Report with Bret Baier” averaged 2.407 million viewers and “Hannity” averaged 2.338 million viewers. Gutfeld! continued to lead late-night television, ahead of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”
“Fox & Friends” averaged 1.2 million viewers and remained the top cable news morning program for the 66th consecutive month. Fox News said the program again exceeded CNN and MS NOW combined among total viewers.
During daytime, “America’s Newsroom” averaged 1.7 million viewers, while “The Faulkner Focus,” “Outnumbered” and “America Reports” each averaged 1.6 million viewers. “The Story” with Martha MacCallum averaged 1.7 million viewers.
During the weekends, certain programming topped CNN and MS NOW in the ratings: “Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany” averaged 1.4 million viewers, while “Sunday Morning Futures” and “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy” also averaged 1.4 million viewers.
Fox News is operated by Fox News Media, part of Fox Corporation.
