With the 2016 presidential race eating up the cable news airwaves, Fox News Channel was once again the most-watched basic cable channel in May. This marks the third month this year the network has been the most-watched in total day viewing, breaking a streak the network achieved in 2003 at the height of the Iraq War.
FNC is up 26 percent in total viewers and up 17 in the demo in prime time compared to the same time last year, topping both MSNBC and CNN combined in total viewers. In total day, FNC is up 19 percent in viewers and up 11 percent in the demo. Every program (From 6am to 10pm) is up in total viewers compared to last May.
The average Nielsen live + same day impressions for May 2016:
- Prime time (Mon-Sun): 1,931,000 total viewers / 340,000 A25-54
- Total Day (Mon-Sun): 1,165,000 total viewers / 216,000 A25-54
The biggest gainer was Hannity. The 10pm show was up 35 percent in viewers and up 21 in the demo. On the Record with Greta Van Susteren was up 14 percent in viewes and up 6 percent in viewers in the demo; The O’Reilly Factor, the most-watched show on cable news, was up 25 percent in viewers and up 13 percent in the demo and The Kelly File was up 16 percent in viewers and up 8 in the demo.
Bret Baier‘s Special Report at 6pm beats CNN’s Situtaion Room and MSNBC’s With All Due Respect combined in total viewers. Special Report also saw double digit year-over-year increases: up 10 percent in viewers and up 11 percent in the demo.
In daytime, Fox & Friends, which has been number one in cable news for 175 months, is up in both total viewers (14 percent) and the demo (2 percent) vs. last May while Outnumbered at Noon was up 23 percent in viewers and up 3 percent in the demo.