Fox News Runs Its Streak to 24 Consecutive Weeks as Basic Cable’s Most-Watched Network

By A.J. Katz 

Fox News Channel once again finished a week as cable TV’s most-watched network, both in prime time and across the 24-hour day. FNC has now finished No. 1 in total day for 24 consecutive weeks.

Additionally, Fox News’s 1.5 million total day viewer average from June 18 – June 24 represents +4 percent growth from the comparable week last year.

The network averaged over 2.5 million total prime time viewers last week, +3 percent from the comparable week last year. FNC also scored a top 5 finish among adults 25-54. It finished No. 5 in prime time and No. 2 across total day.

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Per Nielsen data, Fox News also boasts the top five cable telecasts for the week in total viewers, with presentations of Hannity and Tucker Carlson Tonight, and occupied 19 of the top 30 cable telecasts overall in total viewers including Hannity, Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Ingraham Angle, The Five, and Special Report with Bret Baier.

FNC’s special, Charles Krauthammer: His Words, was the No. 1 cable news telecast on Friday, on June 22nd with almost 2.8 million in total viewers and 402,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Wednesday June 20th edition of Hannity was basic cable’s most-watched program for the week with 3.6 million total viewers; which is even more than the 3.2 million total ESPN’s NBA Draft broadcast drew.

Hannity had Trump’s Minnesota rally as its lead-in, an event the other cable newsers decided not to televise.

MSNBC had a pretty good week in its own right. It posted double digit year-over-year audience growth (+16 percent in prime time and +17 percent in total day), and was the second-most-watched network on basic cable, not only in prime time but across the 24-hour day as well. The network defeated rival CNN both among total viewers and adults 25-54 in the aforementioned dayparts.

CNN garnered a top 20 finish across basic cable in total viewers, but unlike its competitors, it posted a -5 percent total prime time viewer decline versus last year.

Here’s how Fox Business performed this past week:

Business Day

FBN: 193,000 total viewers / 21,000 A25-54

CNBC: 155,000 total viewers / 31,000 A25-54

Market Hours

FBN: 199,000 total viewers / 22,000 A25-54

CNBC: 158,000 total viewers / 31,000 A25-54

 

 

Basic Cable Top 5 – Prime Time (Total Viewers)

  1. Fox News (2,513,000)
  2. MSNBC (1,780,000)
  3. ESPN (1,447,000)
  4. USA (1,417,000)
  5. HGTV (1,411,000)

Basic Cable Top 5 – Total Day (Total Viewers)

  1. Fox News (1,465,000)
  2. MSNBC (962,000)
  3. Nickelodeon (950,000)
  4. HGTV (786,000)
  5. Investigation Discovery (738,000)

Basic Cable Top 5 – Prime Time (A25-54)

  1. USA (588,000)
  2. ESPN (582,000)
  3. TBS (573,000)
  4. FX (531,000)
  5. Fox News (478,000)

Basic Cable Top 5 – Total Day (A25-54)

  1. Investigation Discovery (316,000)
  2. Fox News (294,000)
  3. FX (261,000)
  4. HGTV (261,000)
  5. TBS (254,000)

Basic Cable Ranker: Week of June 18 (Total Viewers)

Basic Cable Ranker: Week of June 18 (A25-54)

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