The final Nielsen live plus same day data for October 2023 has arrived, and Fox’s panel talk news show The Five averaged more viewers than any other cable news program for the month — 3 million at 5 p.m. That’s up substantially from what the program averaged in the comparatively-quiet news month of September (2.675 million viewers).
Fox News is home to eight of the 10 most-watched cable news shows, including the top seven for October. MSNBC has the other two top 10 cable news shows for the month. In fact, Fox News and MSNBC are home to the 30-most-watched cable news shows in August.
Here are the 10 most-watched cable news shows for October 2023, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen.
- Fox News | 5 p.m. /The Five: 3,003,000 / 25 telecasts
- Fox News | 8 p.m. /Jesse Watters Primetime: 2,578,000 / 24 telecasts
- Fox News | 9 p.m./ Hannity: 2,407,000 / 27 telecasts
- Fox News | 6 p.m. / Special Report with Bret Baier: 2,212,000 / 25 telecasts
- Fox News | 7 p.m. / The Ingraham Angle: 2,169,000 / 24 telecasts
- Fox News | 10 p.m. / Gutfeld!: 2,028,000 / 15 telecasts
- Fox News | 12 p.m. / Outnumbered: 1,743,000 / 25 telecasts
- MSNBC | 4-6 p.m. / Deadline: White House: 1,691,000 / 26 telecasts
- MSNBC | 10 p.m. / The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell: 1,681,000 / 23 telecasts
- Fox News | 4 p.m. / Your World with Neil Cavuto: 1,680,000 / 25 telecasts
How about the top cable news shows among Adults 25-54? After all, this is a demographic that advertisers of TV news still focus their ad dollars on.
The Five took first place in the A25-54 demographic this past month as well, averaging 316,000 viewers from the demo, up from 282,000 in September, and ahead of second-place Hannity (300,000). In fact, the 11 most-watched cable news shows among Adults 25-54 in October call Fox News home. The highest-rated non-Fox News show in the demo this past month was CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, which officially debuted in October (199,000 A25-54 at 10 p.m.).
Below are the top 10 cable news shows in the key demo for October ’23, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen.
- Fox News | 5 p.m. / The Five: 316,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 9 p.m. / Hannity: 300,000 / 27 telecasts
- Fox News | 10 p.m. / Gutfeld!: 292,000 / 15 telecasts
- Fox News | 8 p.m. / Jesse Watters Primetime: 270,000 / 24 telecasts
- Fox News | 7 p.m. / The Ingraham Angle: 244,000 / 24 telecasts
- Fox News | 6 p.m. / Special Report with Bret Baier: 242,000 / 25 telecasts
- Fox News | 11 p.m. / Fox News @ Night with Trace Gallagher: 227,000 / 35 telecasts
- Fox News | 12 p.m. / Outnumbered: 221,000 / 25 telecasts
- Fox News | 11 a.m. / The Faulkner Focus: 210,000 / 25 telecasts
- Fox News | 2-3 p.m., 3-4 p.m. / America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts: 209,000 / 50 telecasts
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Below, the full cable news program ranker for the month of October 2023. Excluded from the rankings are repeats, specials, and shows with fewer than 10 telecasts.