Fox News Channel drew the most viewers yesterday during day-long, live coverage of democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appearing before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. CNN was second among the A25-54 demo, while MSNBC was second in viewers.
All three networks added viewers for total day programming: MSNBC saw the most growth, up +146 percent in viewers and up +105 percent in the demo compared to the Sept. 2015 average. FNC was up +72 percent in viewers and up +67 percent in the demo; CNN was up +35 percent in viewers and up +3 percent in the demo. It should be noted that CNN’s GOP debate last month averaged 22.94 million viewers, lifting the network’s totals.
In prime time the decision to stay with live coverage from the hearing benefited MSNBC, but did not help CNN. Compared to the Sept. 2015 average, MSNBC was up +86 percent in viewers and up +56 percent in the demo; while CNN was down in both: down -25 percent and down -45 percent, respectively. Fox News returned to regular programming in prime time, and saw a lift: up +18 percent in viewers and up +19 percent in the demo vs. the Sept. 2015 average.
- Viewership for Oct. 22, 2015:
| Total Day | Total Viewers | A25-54 |
|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 1.64 million | 290,000 |
| MSNBC | 778,000 | 121,000 |
| CNN | 690,000 | 148,000 |
| Prime Time | Total Viewers | A25-54 |
|---|---|---|
| Fox News | 2.55 million | 465,000 |
| MSNBC | 1.41 million | 233,000 |
| CNN | 1.28 million | 288,000 |