For Fox News, the first quarter of 2020 was one for the record books. Each series airing weekdays between 5-11 p.m. ET, set an average total audience record.
Hannity led the charge, averaging a whopping 4.2 million total viewers in Q1. Tucker Carlson followed with just over 4 million viewers. The Five was the third-most-watched cable news program of the quarter, followed by The Ingraham Angle and Special Report with Bret Baier.
The Rachel Maddow Show, which was the second-most-watched cable news program for Q1 last year, finished No. 6 in Total Viewers this past Q1.
Fox News was home to 8 of the 10-most-watched cable news programs of the quarter, with MSNBC earning the other two spots (The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell came in at No. 8). Fox News was home to 14 of the top 20 cable news shows in Total Viewers.
Averaging just under 1.4 million viewers in Q1, The Lead with Jake Tapper was CNN’s most-watched program for the quarter in Total Viewers. The program was No. 22 in Total Viewers across cable news.
Sorted by Total Viewers:
Cable news ranker: Q1 2020 (Total Viewers)
Fox News had the top 6 shows on cable news for the quarter among Adults 25-54. Hannity was No. 1, followed by Tucker Carlson Tonight. The Ingraham Angle finished ahead of The Five in the demo, followed by Special Report at No. 5. The Story with Martha MacCallum managed to edge Rachel Maddow in the key demo.
Maddow had the most-watched show on cable news in the demo in Q1 of last year. Q1 2020, she finished No. 7 in the demo.
Fox News @ Night with Shannon Bream came in at No. 8 in the demo.
Bill Hemmer Reports, which launched in Q1 in the 3 p.m. hour, edged Cuomo Prime Time for 9th place across cable news in the demo. Cuomo was CNN’s No. 1 show of the month in this key category, and rounded out cable news’ top 10.
Fox News was home to 13 of the top 20 shows of the month in the key demo. CNN had 5 in the top 20 (Cuomo Prime Time, The Lead, Erin Burnett Outfront, Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. MSNBC had 2 in the top 20 (TRMS and The Last Word) .
Sorted by Adults 25-54: