Fox Business Network was the most-watched business news channel for January 2017 during the Business Day daypart, considered 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET. January also represents FBN’s second-highest-rated month ever in the key A25-54 demo during the aforementioned daypart, only behind November 2016.
Lou Dobbs, Stuart Varney and Neil Cavuto had the top 3 business TV programs for the month of January in total viewers, and the network’s coverage of the inauguration, anchored by Cavuto, beat CNBC both in total viewers and in the news demo. Fox Business also beat CNBC on “Dow 20,000 day,” which was Jan. 25, 2017.
In this time of polarization, and with the new administration still on everyone’s mind, FBN’s decision to mix politics with its business coverage seems to be paying off from a ratings standpoint during the daytime hours.
CNBC, which isn’t quite as political, remains ahead of FBN in the standard cable television dayparts of Total Day (6 a.m. – 6 a.m.) and Monday – Sunday prime time (8 – 11 p.m.). CNBC, despite being -23 percent in total prime time viewers, and -11 percent in total day viewers from the same month last year, ranked No. 47 in prime time and No. 57 in Total Day.
Fox Business, on the other hand, ranked No. 81 in prime time and No. 60 in Total Day. The network was -64 percent in total prime time viewers this past month versus January 2016, which was a month when the network hosted a GOP debate in prime time, one that delivered 11.1 million viewers. The network was also -3 percent in total day viewers from January 2016.
Below is a daypart breakdown for January 2017, which includes year-over-year viewership gain/decline for Fox Business and CNBC.
Business Day (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET)
FBN: 213,000 total viewers, +66 percent; 32,000 A25-54, +45 percent.
CNBC: 194,000 total viewers, -11 percent; 42,000 A25-54, -2 percent.
Total Day (6 a.m. – 6 a.m.)
FBN: 138,000 total viewers, -3 percent.
CNBC: 152,000 total viewers, -11 percent.
Post Market (5 – 8 p.m. ET)
FBN: 232,000 total viewers, +50 percent; 36,000 A25-54, +44 percent.
CNBC: 154,000 total viewers, -15 percent; 51,000 A25-54, -4 percent.
Mon – Sun Prime time (8 – 11 p.m.)
FBN: 122,000 total viewers, -64 percent.
CNBC: 310,000 total viewers, -23 percent.
Business News Inauguration Coverage (11 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET)
FBN delivered 523,000 total viewers and 101,000 A25-54.
CNBC delivered 305,000 total viewers and 90,000 A25-54.
FBN vs. CNBC DOW 20,000 Business Day (1/25/17)
FBN: 253,000 total viewers; 41,000 A25-54.
CNBC: 178,000 total viewers; 26,000 A25-54.