These Are the Top-Rated Cable News Shows of 2022

By A.J. Katz 

Fox News, once again, dominated the cable news rankings in 2022. This time, however, it was The Five, not Tucker Carlson Tonight, which averaged the largest total audience on cable news with 3.42 million viewers at 5 p.m. The Five’s first place finish in 2022 marks the first time a non-primetime program was the most-watched show for a calendar year in cable news history.

Tucker Carlson Tonight ranked No. 2 in total viewers in 2022 (3.3 million), ahead of third-place Jesse Watters Primetime (2.86 million), the network’s newest offering. Hannity, meanwhile, dropped to No. 4 in total viewers, averaging 2.81 million in 2022. Hannity had been the the most-watched show on cable news from 2017-2020.

Overall, Fox News is home to nine of the 10 most-watched cable news shows of 2022, with MSNBC’s 9 p.m. hour falling to No. 10 after a fourth place finish in 2021. Rachel Maddow‘s move from daily to weekly put a substantial dent in the network’s primetime ratings. However, MSNBC was still able to beat rival CNN in the hour. The latter has still not named a permanent 9 p.m. host.

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Speaking of CNN, Anderson Cooper 360 remained the network’s most-watched show, having averaged 868,000 total viewers in 2022 (No. 23 overall).

Below, the full regularly-scheduled weekday cable news ranker for 2022 (per Nielsen live plus same day data), sorted by average total viewers.

2022 Rankings Nielsen Live+SD data
RANK NETWORK PROGRAM NAME P2+AA (000) #Tlc
1 FOXN THE FIVE 3419 246
2 FOXN TUCKER CARLSON TONIGHT 3031 228
3 FOXN JESSE WATTERS PRIMETIME 2857 200
4 FOXN HANNITY 2811 214
5 FOXN SPECIAL REPORT BRET BAIER 2511 244
6 FOXN THE INGRAHAM ANGLE 2269 215
7 FOXN GUTFELD! 2040 222
8 FOXN OUTNUMBERED 1858 245
9 FOXN AMERICA’S NEWSROOM 1761 496
10 MSNBC ALEX WAGNER/ MADDOW 1756 186
11 FOXN THE FAULKNER FOCUS 1744 253
12 FOXN YOUR WORLD NEIL CAVUTO 1611 245
13 FOXN AMERICA REPORTS 1592 481
14 FOXN THE STORY MARTHA MACCALLUM 1576 246
15 MSNBC LAST WORD LAWRENCE O’DONNELL 1442 234
16 FOXN FOX AND FRIENDS 1376 737
17 MSNBC ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES 1346 239
18 MSNBC DEADLINE: WHITE HOUSE NICOLLE WALLACE 1341 253
19 MSNBC THE BEAT WITH ARI MELBER 1328 254
20 MSNBC REIDOUT 1182 245
21 FOXN FOX NEWS @ NIGHT 1117 259
22 MSNBC THE 11TH HOUR STEPHANIE RUHLE 963 206
23 CNN ANDERSON COOPER 360 868 317
24 MSNBC MORNING JOE 865 436
25 CNN LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER 809 435
26 MSNBC HALLIE JACKSON REPORTS 797 245
27 CNN ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT 790 244
28 MSNBC KATY TUR REPORTS 749 244
29 MSNBC CHRIS JANSING REPORTS 739 134
30 CNN SITUATION ROOM WOLF BLITZER 735 315
31 CNN INSIDE POLITICS 725 237
32 CNN CNN NEWSROOM 707 1226
33 MSNBC ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS 705 240
34 CNN AT THIS HOUR KATE BOLDUAN 699 251
34 MSNBC STEPHANIE RUHLE REPORTS 699 35
36 MSNBC MSNBC REPORTS – LIVE 686 271
36 MSNBC MTP DAILY 686 105
38 MSNBC JOSE DIAZ BALART REPORTS 677 251
39 MSNBC CRAIG MELVIN REPORTS 621 66
40 CNN DON LEMON TONIGHT 619 371
41 CNN CNN TONIGHT 583 238
42 FOXN FOX & FRIENDS FIRST 556 494
43 CNN CNN NEWSROOM LIVE 418 174
44 CNN CNN THIS MORNING/NEW DAY 412 748
45 FBN KUDLOW 313 243
46 MSNBC WAY TOO EARLY JONATHAN LEMIRE 312 252
47 FBN VARNEY & COMPANY 280 759
48 NEWSMAX CRAIG KELLY REPORTS 258 255
49 NEWSMAX STINCHFIELD 244 114
50 CNBC FAST MONEY HALFTIME 236 251
51 CNBC SQUAWK ON THE STREET 234 252
52 CNN EARLY START 233 231
52 NEWSMAX SPICER & CO 233 259
54 NEWSMAX CHRIS SALCEDO SHOW 224 258
55 CNBC NEWS W/ SHEPARD SMITH 220 223
56 NEWSMAX THE BALANCE ERIC BOLLING 216 254
57 CNBC CLOSING BELL 206 450
58 NEWSMAX ROB SCHMITT TONIGHT 200 252
59 NEWSMAX RECORD W/ GRETA VAN SUSTEREN 199 136
60 CNBC THE EXCHANGE 197 251
60 CNBC TECH CHECK 197 251
62 CNBC POWER LUNCH 195 251
63 FBN THE CLAMAN COUNTDOWN 174 253
65 CNBC FAST MONEY MELISSA LEE 174 245
66 FBN CAVUTO COAST TO COAST 170 506
66 FBN EVENING EDIT LIZ MCDONALD 169 250
68 FBN MAKING MONEY CHARLES PAYNE 169 251
69 HLN MORNING EXPRESS ROBIN MEADE 164 1015
70 FBN FOX BUSINESS TONIGHT 163 252
70 FBN AMERICAN AGENDA 159 260
72 NEWSMAX NATIONAL REPORT 159 260
73 NEWSMAX JOHN BACHMAN NOW 156 260
74 CNBC MAD MONEY JIM CRAMER 148 203
74 CNBC OPTIONS ACTION 134 48
76 NEWSMAX PRIME NEWS 134 220
77 HLN MORNING EXPRESS 128 172
77 FBN KENNEDY 117 201
77 FBN MORNINGS WITH MARIA BARTIROMO 117 759
77 CNBC SQUAWK BOX 117 252
80 FBN MARIA BARTIROMO WALL STREET 107 50
81 FBN HOW AMERICA WORKS 98 35
82 NEWSMAX WAKE UP AMERICA 94 259
83 HLN CNN/CNN THIS MORNING 88 42
84 FBN WSJ AT LARGE GERRY BAKER 77 50
85 FBN AMERICAN BUILT 72 74
86 FBN AMERICAN DREAM HOME 56 74
87 CNBC WORLDWIDE EXCHANGE 55 251
88 FBN MANSION GLOBAL 45 74

Tucker Carlson Tonight remains the most popular show on cable news among adults 25-54 for the second consecutive year, averaging 517,000 viewers from the key measurement in 2022.

The Five leapfrogged Hannity into the No. 2 spot in the key A25-54 demo, behind his FNC colleague with an average of 461,000 adults 25-54 in the 5 p.m. hour. Hannity averaged 416,000 A25-54 at 9 p.m., with Jesse Watters Primetime (392,000) and The Ingraham Angle (355,000) and Special Report (355,000) rounding out the top five.

Fox News earned the top 15 spots in A25-54 this past year. CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 is the top-rated non-Fox News show among adults 25-54, coming in at No. 16 by averaging 209,000 from the measurement; even ahead of MSNBC’s 9 p.m. hour.

2022 ADULTS 25-54 (Nielsen Live+SD data) 

2022 (Adults 25-54)

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