After years of playing second fiddle to CNBC, Fox Business Network is now establishing itself as the No. 1 business news network during the Business Day daypart: weekdays from 9:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. ET.
FBN ended the second quarter of 2017 ahead of CNBC in total viewers, its third straight quarterly win. CNBC still leads the daypart among the A25-54 demo, which matters most to advertisers.
- Q2 2017 Business Day (9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.) | Total Viewers / A25-54 demo
FBN: 173,000 / 21,000
CNBC: 160,000 / 29,000
FBN was up +35 percent in viewers and up +24 percent in the demo vs. Q2 2016. CNBC was down -13 percent and down -19 percent, respectively, vs. 2016. CNBC’s 29,000 viewer delivery in the demo is its lowest for a quarter since 1991. The 160,000 total viewer delivery is the lowest since 1997.
Outside of Business Day, Lou Dobbs Tonight continues to be the most-watched original program on business TV, marking 14 consecutive monthly wins in total viewers. Maria Bartiromo’s Mornings with Maria, while still trailing Squawk Box in both total viewers and the demo, was up +28 percent from last year in viewers.
CNBC continues to lead in total day viewership, though it is down vs. last year, while FBN is up. In prime time (8 p.m. – 11 p.m.) CNBC leads, and both networks saw growth.
- 2Q 2017 Total Day (6 a.m. – 6 a.m.) | Total Viewers
CNBC: 135,000 (-6 percent)
FBN: 113,000 (+26 percent) - 2Q 2017 Prime Time (8 p.m. – 11 p.m.) | Total Viewers
CNBC: 308,000 (+3 percent)
FBN: 101,000 (+11 percent)