The margin has become tight, but Fox News Channel is holding on to its position atop the cable news landscape. For the week of May 29, 2023, FNC averaged 1.36 million total primetime viewers (No. 2 among all basic cable networks) and 1.01 million total day viewers (No. 1 among all basic cable networks), to go with 130,000 adults 25-54 in primetime (tied for No. 16 w/ Paramount Network) and 117,000 adults 25-54 in total day (No. 5 among all basic cablers).
How do these figures stack up against comparable weeks? Relative to the week prior (week of May 22), Fox News is +1% in total primetime viewers but -3% in total day viewers, -4% among adults 25-54 in primetime and -3% among adults 25-54 in total day. FNC also continues to struggle relative to 2022. The network shed -32% in total primetime viewers and -55% among adults 25-54 in primetime relative to the same week in 2022. Yes, the network still had Tucker Carlson at 8 p.m. last year, so the current year-over-year drop off primetime isn’t particularly surprising. However the story isn’t much better in total day viewing. Fox is -24% in total day viewers and -42% in the total day demo versus the week of May 30, 2022.
Despite significant viewer erosion, Fox News can still lay claim to being the most-watched cable news network for 118 weeks and counting.
MSNBC remains Fox’s stiffest competition right now. It remains the No. 4 most-watched basic cable network in primetime (1.19 million) behind NBA Playoffs-carrying TNT and ESPN, and Fox News. It’s the No. 3 most-watched basic cable network in total day (715,000), behind Fox News and ESPN. Additionally, MSNBC ranked No. 19 in the primetime demo (120,000 viewers), one spot up from the previous week, and No. 12 in the total day demo (83,000 viewers) down one spot from the previous week.
How do those figures stack up against comparable weeks? MSNBC is -3% in total primetime viewers, but gained +3% in the primetime demo, -5% in total day viewers and -2% among adults 25-54 in total day. However, unlike Fox News and CNN, the year-over-year viewership trend for MSNBC is very positive. The network is +24% in total primetime viewers, +33% in the primetime demo, +19% in total day viewers and +26% in the total day demo vs. the week of May 16, 2022.
Yes, CNN is in third place but the network did show signs of life in the ratings department this past week. has had a roller coaster couple of weeks. CNN averaged 512,000 total viewers in primetime during the week of May 29, No. 14 among all basic cable outlets (up four spots from the week earlier). The network also averaged 409,000 total day viewers this past week, No. 6 among all basic cable networks (unchanged from the prior week). When it comes to adults 25-54, CNN averaged 95,000 in primetime, which is No. 30 on basic cable (down five spots from the previous week) and 75,000 adults in total day, tied with MSNBC for No. 16 on basic cable (unchanged from the prior week).
How do those figures from this past week stack up against comparable weeks? Not half bad. Relative to the previous week, CNN gained +25% in total primetime viewers, +4% in the primetime demo, +7% in total day viewers and +1% in the total day demo. However, the network is -15% in total primetime viewers, -22% in the primetime demo, -23% in total day viewers and -23% in the total day demo vs. the week of May 16, 2022.
Additionally, Newsmax averaged 213,000 total primetime viewers. That’s tied for No. 39 on basic cable with Freeform, down 10 spots from the prior week. Newsmax also averaged 139,000 total day viewers this past week, tied for N0. 41 on basic cable with Tennis Channel, down 12 spots from the prior week.
Week of May 29 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen live-same-day data):
| PRIME | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,357,000 | 991,000 | 512,000 |
| • A25-54: | 130,000 | 101,000 | 95,000 |
| TOTAL DAY | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,007,000 | 665,000 | 409,000 |
| • A25-54: | 117,000 | 76,000 | 76,000 |
The Five is once again No. 1 on cable news, averaging 2.52 million total viewers at 5 p.m. this past week. Hannity, aided by a GOP presidential candidate forum featuring President Trump, moved up to No. 2 on cable news in average total viewers (2.15 million at 9 p.m.) Jesse Watters Primetime secured third place with a 1.95 million total viewer average at 7 p.m., Special Report with Bret Baier averaged 1.66 million at 6 p.m. and Gutfeld! rounding out cable news’ top five with a 1.585 million total viewer average at 11 p.m.
Fox News 8 p.m. hour Fox News Tonight (1.53 million) took sixth place, with MSNBC’s The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell coming in at No. 7, and averaging more total viewers than all 10 p.m. cable news competition (1.51 million). The Ingraham Angle finished No. 8 in average total viewers (1.48 million at 10 p.m.), followed by MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Tonight (1.43 million at 9 p.m.) and All In with Chris Hayes (1.395 million at 8 p.m.) rounding out the top 10.
In addition to being No. 1 in total viewers, The Five is also No. 1 on cable news among adults 25-54, averaging 259,000 from the measurement at 5 p.m. this past week.
Fox News had the top seven cable news shows among Adults 25-54. The eighth place show is MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes, which beat the 8 p.m. Fox News and CNN competition for the week.
Lastly, below are the basic cable network rankers — sorted by average total viewers followed by A25-54.
Week of May 29 (Total Viewers) by alexanderkatz5 on Scribd
Week of May 29 (Adults 25-54) by alexanderkatz5 on Scribd