New month, same trend: Fox News Channel averaged the largest total audience of any basic cable TV network.
According to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data for the month of July 2022, Fox News was the most-watched basic cable network in total day, averaging 1.35 million viewers across the 6 a.m.-6 a.m. daypart. That’s now 17 straight months that FNC has finished as the most-watched network in that daypart. Fox also gained the No. 1 ranking among adults 25-54 in total day (194,000) beating out ESPN (153,000). Fox News also garnered the No. 1 spot in total primetime viewers (2.12 million) and the No. 1 spot among adults 25-54 in primetime (292,000), edging TBS (286,000).
But back to Fox News: Compared to its June ’22 performance, FNC shed -3% in average total prime time audience and -8% of its primetime demo audience. And in total day, the network shed -2% in average total viewers and -8% in adults 25-54. How about year-over-year trend? Fox News shed less than -1% in total primetime viewers, -12% in the primetime demo, -3% in the total day demo but managed to grow by +14% in total viewers across total day.
Fox News continues to dominate its main cable news competition in the key categories most hours of the day.
Of course, there’s more to cable news than just Fox. MSNBC earned a slight boost from live breaking news coverage of the Jan. 6 committee hearings in July. In fact, no network averaged more viewers across all of the hearings than MSNBC, averaging three million viewers per hearing — primetime and daytime, alike. NBCU’s politics-focused network was once again the second-most-watched basic cable network in in total day, averaging 765,000 viewers (less than -1% from June). MSNBC was also the second-most-watched basic cable network for June in primetime, averaging 1.295 million viewers in the daypart, which is +1% from what the network averaged in June. MSNBC did see a drop off in A25-54 viewers. Its 133,000 demo average in primetime is -3% from what it averaged in June, and its 84,000 A25-54 average in total day is -2% from June. The network also shed viewers from July 2021, dropping -1% in total primetime viewers and -1% in total day viewers. The year-over-year loss was even more pronounced in the demo, with the network shedding -21% from the primetime demo and -18% from the total day demo vs. July 2021.
In July, CNN averaged 731,000 total viewers in primetime, which is +12% from June, and 541,000 total day viewers, which is +11% from June. The month-to-month A25-54 ratings trend—driven by live coverage of the Jan.6 hearings—was positive as well, with the network gaining +7% in the primetime demo (159,000) and +6% in the total day demo (110,000) from June. On the downside, the network posted the most substantial year-over-year losses, shedding -15% of its total primetime audience, -16% of its primetime demo audience, -9% in total day viewers and -12% in the total day demo vs. July 2021. CNN finished third on cable news in total viewers behind Fox News and MSNBC.
Fox News, MSNBC, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, TLC, INSP, TBS, CNN, Discovery and History were the 10-most-watched basic cable TV networks for July ’22 in primetime. Fox News, MSNBC, Hallmark, CNN, HGTV, INSP, Food Network, USA, TV Land and ID were the 10-most-watched basic cable TV networks for July in total day (6 a.m.-6 a.m.).
Below are the basic cable network ranker for July ’22. It is sorted by most to fewest average total viewers.
July ’22 (Total Viewers) by alexanderkatz5
Below are the basic cable network ranker for July ’22. It is sorted by most to fewest adults 25-54.
July ’22 (Adults 25-54) by alexanderkatz5 on Scribd