According to live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen, Tucker Carlson Tonight is the No. 1 cable news show for August 2021, not just in average total audience but also among adults 25-54. Carlson’s 8 p.m. offering hauled in an average of 3.37 million total viewers and 574,000 adults 25-54 per original broadcast. That’s growth from August 2021, when the program averaged 3.30 million total viewers and 551,000 adults 25-54.
The Five was the second-most-watched show on cable news for the second consecutive month (3.25 million viewers) and also grew from its August performance. while Hannity (3.045 million), The Ingraham Angle (2.51 million) and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.37 million) round out the five-most-watched for the month. All five shows saw growth in total viewers from August.
In its fifth month on air, Fox News’ late-night show Gutfeld! finished No. 8 on cable news in total viewers (1.91 million) after finishing No. 10 in total viewers the previous month.
13 of of the 15-most-watched shows of the month are Fox News shows. MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show finished No. 6 (2.31 million) for the second consecutive month. The 2.31 million viewer average is up from what the show averaged in August (2.06 million). The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell was MSNBC’s second-most-watched show (No. 15 — 1.49 million viewers).
CNN’s most-watched show for September was Anderson Cooper 360 (958,000). However, it was only the 23rd-most-watched show on all of cable news for the month.
Here are the 10 most-watched cable news shows for Sept. 2021, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen.
- Fox News| 8 p.m. / Tucker Carlson Tonight: 3,369,000 / 17 telecasts
- Fox News | 5 p.m. / The Five: 3,247,000 / 19 telecasts
- Fox News | 9 p.m. / Hannity: 3,045,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 10 p.m. / The Ingraham Angle: 2,507,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 6 p.m. / Special Report with Bret Baier: 2,370,000 / 19 telecasts
- MSNBC | 9 p.m. / The Rachel Maddow Show: 2,308,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 7 p.m. / Fox News Primetime: 2,120,000 / 19 telecasts
- Fox News | 11 p.m./Gutfeld!: 1,912,000/18 telecasts
- Fox News | 12 p.m./Outnumbered: 1,772,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 9-10 a.m., 10-11-a.m. / America’s Newsroom: 1,721,000 / 38 telecasts
Below, the full cable news program ranker:
How about the top cable news shows among adults 25-54? After all, this is a demographic that advertisers of news traditionally focus their ad dollars on.
As previously mentioned, Tucker Carlson Tonight averaged the largest A25-54 audience of any cable news show in September, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen (574,000). Hannity remained No. 2 in the demo (494,000), followed by The Five (473,000). The Ingraham Angle (429,000) and Special Report (369,000) rounding out the top five in the key demo.
Fox News placed 14 shows in cable news’ top 25 among adults 25-54, including 14 of the top 15 and nine of the top 10.
The Rachel Maddow Show is the only non-Fox offering to crack the top 15 in the demo this month, coming in at No. 8 in September after finishing No. 10 in August and No. 5 in July. MSNBC placed three of the top 25 cable news shows among adults 25-54 for September 2021.
CNN’s top show in the key A25-54 demo for September is Anderson Cooper 360, which averaged 216,000 viewers from the measurement (No. 16 on cable news). CNN placed eight of the top 25 cable news shows for the month among adults 25-54.
Here are the top 10 cable news shows among adults 25-54 for September 2021, as per live-plus-same-day data from Nielsen:
- Fox News| 8 p.m./ Tucker Carlson Tonight: 574,000 / 17 telecasts
- Fox News | 9 p.m. / Hannity: 494,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News| 5 p.m. / The Five: 473,000 / 19 telecasts
- Fox News | 10 p.m. / The Ingraham Angle: 429,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 6 p.m. / Special Report with Bret Baier: 369,000 / 19 telecasts
- Fox News | 11 p.m. / Gutfeld!: 361,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 7 p.m. / Fox News Primetime: 350,000 / 19 telecasts
- MSNBC | 9 p.m. / The Rachel Maddow Show: 286,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 12 p.m./Outnumbered: 285,000 / 18 telecasts
- Fox News | 2-3 p.m., 3-4 p.m. / America Reports: 281,000 / 38 telecasts
Below, the full cable news program ranker: