Fox News Channel is completing its 14th consecutive month as the most-watched basic cable network in total day, as per Nielsen live-plus-same-day data for April 2022. The network did slip to No. 3 in the total day daypart among adults 25-54, primarily due to growth in the demo from the networks carrying the NBA Playoffs (TNT and ESPN).
Fox News also shed -16% in total day viewers and -28% among adults 25-54 from March, which, to be fair, was a month filled with wall-to-wall coverage surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
How about primetime? Fox News averaged the largest total audience of all basic cable networks in the daypart during April, as is often the case. However, the network dropped to No. 4 in the key A25-54 demo, again due to viewer growth for the networks carrying the NBA Playoffs (ESPN and TNT) as well as the network carrying the NCAA Men’s national championship game (TBS).
Relative to March, Fox News shed -17% in total primetime viewers and -31% among the primetime demo. Still, ranking among basic cable’s top five in multiple dayparts isn’t exactly something to sound the alarm over. Plus, the network continues to average more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined.
While Fox News lost some traction from March in the ratings department, the network continues to gain viewers from 2021— posting growth from April 2021 in total day viewers (+25%), total primetime viewers (+6%), and the total day demo (+16%). The network did shed -1% among the primetime demo.
Additionally, Fox Business Network ended the month of April by averaging more Business Day (9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.) viewers than CNBC for the first time since January 2020 (203,000 vs. 201,000). CNBC still ranked ahead of FBN in the key A25-54 demo.
The average Nielsen live plus same day impressions for April ’22:
- Prime time (Mon.-Sun.): 2,363,000 total viewers / 364,000 A25-54
- Total Day (Mon.-Sun.): 1,521,000 total viewers /248,000 A25-54
On the programming front, The Five continued to make history, finishing the month of April as the highest-rated program in total viewers for four out of the past five months. The roundtable talk program delivered 3.5million total viewers, and 510,000 in the 25-54 demo. Not bad for a non-primetime show.
At 8 p.m., Tucker Carlson Tonight completed the month as the top-rated program among adults 25-54, averaging 560,000.
Additionally, Fox News delivered the 12 most-watched programs in cable news with viewers and the top 14 programs in the key 25-54 demo.