Here Are Top-Rated Cable News Shows for January 2023

By A.J. Katz 

Fox News’ panel news analysis program The Five marked a whopping 10th consecutive month as the most-watched cable news show, averaging 3.38 million total viewers in the 5 p.m. hour in January 2023. In addition to 10 consecutive months, that’s now 13 out of the past 14 months that the program has averaged more viewers than any other cable news show. That’s a notable achievement.

Tucker Carlson Tonight remains the second-most-watched show on cable news. In January, the 8 p.m. news analysis show averaged 3.19 million viewers Jesse Watters Primetime is the third-most-watched cable news show in January (2.84 million), followed by Hannity (2.57 million) and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.41 million) rounding out the top five in average total viewers for January 2023.

Fox News Channel is home to the top 13 cable news shows in total viewers, with The Ingraham Angle, Gutfeld!, Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom and The Faulkner Focus rounding out the top 10.

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The Beat with Ari Melber is MSNBC’s most-watched show for the month of January. The 6 p.m. program averaged more than 1.36 million total viewers — more than any MSNBC primetime show; a first.

Erin Burnett Outfront is CNN’s most-watched show in January, averaging 821,000 total viewers at 7 p.m.; more total viewers than any CNN primetime offering.

Here are the 10 most-watched cable news shows for Jan. 2023, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen.

  1. Fox News | 5 p.m. /The Five: 3,378,000 / 21 telecasts
  2. Fox News | 8 p.m. / Tucker Carlson Tonight: 3,188,000 / 18 telecasts
  3. Fox News | 7 p.m./Jesse Watters Primetime: 2,836,000 / 17 telecasts
  4. Fox News | 9 p.m./ Hannity: 2,568,000 / 18 telecasts
  5. Fox News | 6 p.m. / Special Report with Bret Baier: 2,406,000 / 25 telecasts
  6. Fox News | 10 p.m./The Ingraham Angle: 2,117,000 / 14 telecasts
  7. Fox News | 11 p.m./Gutfeld! : 1,958,000 /16 telecasts
  8. Fox News | 12 p.m. / Outnumbered: 1,697,000 / 24 telecasts
  9. Fox News | 9-10 a.m., 10-11 a.m. / America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino: 1,636,000 / 46 telecasts
  10. Fox News | 11 a.m. / The Faulkner Focus: 1,629,000 / 24 telecasts

Jan. ’23 Show Ranker (Total Viewers)

How about the top cable news shows among adults 25-54? After all, this is a demographic that advertisers of TV news still focus their ad dollars on.

Tucker Carlson Tonight remains No. 1 on cable news in A25-54 by a substantial margin, averaging 448,000 from the age range in January. The Five came in second (379,000) with Jesse Watters Primetime (319,000), Hannity (307,000), and Gutfeld! (301,000) rounding out the top five.

Your World With Neil Cavuto made its way into the top 10 with a 207,000 A25-54 average (No. 10 overall).

Fox News has the top 14 shows on cable news among adults 25-54. Erin Burnett Outfront is the top non-Fox News cable news offering among adults 25-54, coming in at No. 15 with a 197,000 A25-54 average in January. The Beat with Ari Melber is MSNBC’s top show among adults 25-54, averaging 147,000 (No. 20 overall).

Here are the top 10 cable news shows among adults 25-54 for Jan. ’23, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen:

  1. Fox News| 8 p.m./ Tucker Carlson Tonight: 448,000 / 18 telecasts
  2. Fox News | 5 p.m. / The Five: 379,000 / 21 telecasts
  3. Fox News | 7 p.m. / Jesse Watters Primetime: 319,000 / 17 telecasts
  4. Fox News | 9 p.m. / Hannity: 307,000 / 18 telecasts
  5. Fox News | 11 p.m./Gutfeld!: 301,000 / 16 telecasts
  6. Fox News | 10 p.m./The Ingraham Angle: 280,000 /14 telecasts
  7. Fox News | 6 p.m. / Special Report with Bret Baier: 278,000 / 25 telecasts
  8. Fox News | 12 p.m./Outnumbered: 218,000 / 24 telecasts
  9. Fox News | 11 a.m./The Faulkner Focus: 214,000 /24 telecasts
  10. Fox News | 4 p.m. / Your World With Neil Cavuto: 207,000 / 22 telecasts

Below, the full cable news program ranker sorted by most to fewest adults 25-54:

Jan. ’23 Show Ranker (Adults 25-54)

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