Despite being a busy news month filled with breaking developments out of the Middle East, as well as the start of former President Donald Trump‘s hush money trial, April delivered a mixed bag of ratings numbers for the big three cable news networks.
Fox News remained the most-watched news network in total day and primetime for April 2024, extending its first place lead to 39 months in primetime and 38 months in total day. The network also took 11 out of the 15 spots in total viewers and all 15 spots in the A25-54 demo. MSNBC took the remaining four spots in total viewers.
Fox News
Fox News’ primetime line-up reached 1.979 million total viewers and 219,000 viewers in the demo. For total day, the network reached 1.270 million total viewers and 156,000 A25-54 viewers. Compared to its March 2024 performance, Fox News was down -7% in total viewers and -11% in the demo during primetime viewing hours. During total day, Fox News was down -3% in total viewers and -1% in the demo.
Looking at its year-ago performance in April 2023, Fox News was down -4% in total viewers and -9% in the demo during primetime. In total day, it was down -2% in total viewers and -3% in the demo.
The Five remained the most-watched program in total viewers (3.027 million at 5 p.m. ET), while Gutfeld! repeated in the top spot in the demo (295,000 at 10 p.m. ET).
MSNBC
MSNBC ranked as April’s No. 2 cable news network among total viewers in both primetime and total day with 1.254 million and 864,000 viewers, respectively. In the A25-54 demo, it attracted 114,000 viewers in primetime and 88,000 viewers during total day.
Compared to March, MSNBC was down -4% in total viewers and -14% in the demo during primetime. But the network experienced a total day bounce, rising +4% in total viewers and +2% in the demo. Compared to the same month in 2023, MSNBC saw primetime decreases of -5% and -23% in total viewers and the demo, respectively. Total day numbers were up by +5% in total viewers but down -14% among A25-54 viewers.
The network’s most-watched show in total viewers was Deadline: White House with Nicole Wallace (1.687 million at 5 p.m. ET), while The Beat with Ari Melber was MSNBC’s most-watched program in the demo (157,000 at 6 p.m. ET).
CNN
CNN was the third-most watched news network in total viewers for primetime and total day, averaging 624,000 and 505,000 viewers, respectively. Over in the A25-54 demo, it had reached 113,000 viewers in primetime and 88,000 viewers in total day.
Compared to the previous month, CNN’s primetime numbers were up +4% in total viewers, but down -9% in the demo. During total day, it was up +9% in total viewers and +4% among the A25-54 audience. Placed alongside its April 2023 primetime performance, the network was up +6% in total viewers, but down -16% in the demo. In total day, the network rose +5% among total viewers, but fell -13% in the demo.
CNN’s special solar eclipse coverage was the network’s top performer in total viewers and the A25-54 demo, with 939,000 and 154,000 viewers, respectively.
Among Total Viewers
- The Five — Fox News (3,027,000)
- Jesse Watters Primetime — Fox News (2,570,000)
- Hannity — Fox News (2,217,000)
- Gutfeld! — Fox News (2,083,000)
- Special Report with Bret Baier — Fox News (2,056,000)
- The Ingraham Angle — Fox News (2,013,000)
- Deadline: White House — MSNBC (1,678,000)
- Outnumbered — Fox News (1,612,000)
- The Beat with Ari Melber — MSNBC (1,585,000)
- Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell — MSNBC (1,579,000)
- America’s Newsroom — Fox News (1,542,000)
- The Faulkner Focus — Fox News (1,510,000)
- Your World with Neil Cavuto — Fox News (1,481,000)
- The Story — Fox News (1,469,000)
- All in with Chris Hayes – MSNBC – (1,451,000)
Among Adults 25-54
- Gutfeld! — Fox News (295,000)
- The Five — Fox News (262,000)
- Jesse Watters Primetime — Fox News (244,000)
- Hannity — Fox News (240,000)
- The Ingraham Angle — Fox News (198,000)
- Outnumbered — Fox News (197,000)
- Special Report with Bret Baier — Fox News (196,000)
- The Faulkner Focus — Fox News (188,000)
- America’s Newsroom — Fox News (186,000)
- Fox News at Night — Fox News (183,000)
- Fox & Friends Saturday — Fox News (167,000)
- America Reports — Fox News (163,000)
- The Story — Fox News (162,000)
- Fox & Friends Sunday — Fox News (161,000)
- Your World with Neil Cavuto — Fox News (160,000)
Looking at the February performance of the other news nets:
- Newsmax: Rob Schmitt Tonight was the net’s top show in total viewers and the A25-54 demo with 409,000 and 22,000 viewers, respectively.
- NewsNation: Cuomo was the net’s top show in total viewers and among the A25-54 audience with 139,000 and 18,000 viewers, respectively.
- Fox Business: Kudlow remained the net’s top show in total viewers, pulling in an audience of 286,000. Cops was tops in the A25-54 demo with 49,000 viewers. The network also outpaced CNBC with Monday to Friday total day viewers for the first time since October 2023, and boasted the top two business news programs—Kudlow and Varney & Co.—for the 26th consecutive month.
- CNBC: Fast Money Halftime Report was the network’s top show in total viewers and the A25-54 demo with 208,000 and 42,000 viewers, respectively.
April 2024 cable news ratings (Nielsen Live+SD data):
| PRIMETIME | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,979,000 | 1,254,000 | 624,000 |
| • A25-54: | 219,000 | 114,000 | 113,000 |
| TOTAL DAY | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,270,000 | 864,000 | 505,000 |
| • A25-54: | 156,000 | 88,000 | 88,000 |