TVSpy
Not only did Fox News draw the biggest midterm audience in its history, it also beat ABC, CBS, and NBC in average viewers during the pivotal 10pm (EST) hour.
It was a tight race for the broadcast networks as the lead shifted throughout the night, depending on the demographic and the hour.
At the beginning of the evening, ABC benefitted from a great lead-in as the 90-minute episode of “Dancing with the Stars” was easily the night’s top show. In the wake of “Dancing with the Stars,” ABC averaged 6.8 million total viewers from 9:30-11pm (EST), putting it ahead of the NBC’s total viewer tally for its 9-11pm coverage. NBC drew 2.9 million in the 25-54 demographic from 9-11, though, while ABC took in 2.6 million demo viewers during 9:30-11.
NBC took the lead during the 10pm (EST) hour, both in total viewers and in 25-54 when all three networks carried election coverage. Still, NBC’s 6.3 million viewers couldn’t match the nearly 7 million viewers that tuned into Fox News during this time.