Week of June 27 Basic Cable Ranker: Fox News Is No. 1 In Total Viewers and Among Adults 25-54

By A.J. Katz 

Fox News Channel was the No. 1 basic cable outlet for the week of June 27 in total viewers and among adults 25-54, both in total day and also in primetime.

The week of June 27 also marks the 72nd consecutive week that Fox News averaged more total viewers in total day and primetime than its cable news competition.

What exactly were the numbers, you ask? Fox News averaged 2.09 million total viewers in primetime this past week, No. 1 on basic cable but -5% from what the network averaged during the week of June 20. The network also averaged 281,000 adults 25-54 in primetime, No. 1 on basic cable (+1,000 viewers ahead of second place TBS) and -9% from the week prior. Moving to total day, Fox News’ 1.37 million total viewer average is No. 1 on basic cable—and -4% from the network posted in the daypart the previous week. FNC also averaged 200,000 adults 25-54 in total day, No. 1 on basic cable but -7% with the prior week.

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MSNBC was the second-most-watched network on basic cable for the second consecutive week, this time drawing a 1.36 million total primetime viewer average. That’s -7% from what the network averaged in the daypart the previous week. MSNBC also averaged 154,000 adults 25-54 in primetime, No. 15 on basic cable and -6% from the prior week.  In total day, the network averaged 838,000 total viewers in total day this past week, No. 2 on basic cable and -7% from the prior week. MSNBC also averaged 99,000 adults 25-54 in total day, which is -7% from the prior week and No. 15 overall on basic cable.

CNN notched back-to-back weeks of viewer growth after what was an especially rough ratings week of June 13. The network hauled in an average of 672,000 total viewers in primetime during the week of June 27, 10th-most on basic cable and up +2% from the week prior, but fewer than Fox News or MSNBC. CNN’s A25-54 viewership in primetime (143,000) ranks No. 18 on basic cable and is also up from the prior week (+8%), but still down from what MSNBC averaged. In total day, CNN averaged 565,000 total viewers, which is -1% from the prior week. The network ranked No. 3 on basic cable in total day viewers, which means that Fox News, MSNBC and CNN were the three-most-watched basic cable networks in total day for the second consecutive week. CNN did manage to beat MSNBC when it came to adults 25-54 in total day (120,000, +3% week-to-week), placing No. 8 for the week in the measurement.

How did cable news’ “big three” fare relative to the same week in 2021? (Week of June 28). Fox News shed -4% in average total primetime viewers and -17% in the primetime demo. The story in the 6 a.m.-6 a.m. total day daypart is mixed, with the network gaining a solid +11% in total day viewers and but shedding -4% in the total day demo. MSNBC lost -3% in total primetime viewers and shed -14% in the primetime demo, -2% in total day viewers and -12% in the total day demo relative to the year-ago week. CNN continues to see the steepest year-over-year losses, despite week-to-week growth. The network lost -32% in average total primetime viewers, -37% in the primetime demo, -17% in total day viewers and -18% in the total day demo vs. the year-ago week.

Week of June 27 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen live-same-day data):

PRIME TIME Fox News MSNBC CNN
• Total Viewers: 2,088,000 1,362,000 672,000
• A25-54: 281,000 154,000 143,000

 

 

 

TOTAL DAY Fox News MSNBC CNN
• Total Viewers: 1,366,000 838,000 565,000
• A25-54: 200,000 99,000 120,000

 

 

 

On the programming front, Fox News’ The Five was the most-watched show of the week (3.15 million at 5 p.m.) and the second-most-watched among adults 25-54 (426,000) at 8 p.m. Tucker Carlson Tonight came in second in total viewers (3.06 million at 8 p.m.) and No. 1 among adults 25-54 (484,000). Jesse Watters Primetime took third place in average total viewers (2.75 million at 7 p.m.), Hannity ranks fourth in total viewers with 2.62 million at 9 p.m.—and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show (2.46 million at 9 p.m.) climbed to No. 5 in average total viewers.

Special Report with Bret Baier (2.32 million at 6 p.m.), The Ingraham Angle (2.27 million at 10 p.m.) , Gutfeld! (2.12 million at 11 p.m.), Outnumbered (1.69 million at 12 p.m.) and America’s Newsroom (1.63 million from 9-11 a.m.) round out cable news’ 10-most-watched for the week.

Below are basic cable network rankers for the week of June 27.

Week of June 27 (Total Viewers)

Week of June 27 (Adults 25-54)

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