2022 was yet another wild year in television news, as hopefully we made clear in last week’s posts. But one constant emerged amid all of the chaos: Fox News Channel was the most-watched network on all of basic cable.
FNC delivered the largest total day and primetime audience on cable in 2022 with 1.48 million viewers in total day and 2.31 million viewers in prime time. The network also averaged 341,000 adults 25-54 in primetime and 228,000 adults 25-54 in total day, according to live plus same day data from Nielsen.
FNC’s 341,000 primetime demo viewer count is good enough for No. 4 on all of basic cable, while its 228,000 total day demo viewer count is No. 2 on all of basic cable.
“From America’s choice on election night to the home of late night’s smash hit show, 2022 was a testament to our unmatched skill in delivering the most innovative news and opinion programming to our audience which continues to rank as the most politically diverse in cable news,” Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said via statement. “I am beyond proud of our entire team’s incredible achievements this year.”
While Fox News continues to dominate the cable news competition, the network’s year-over-year viewership trend is mixed. The network improved in viewing across the total day (6 a.m.-6 a.m.) a rarity in 2022, the network lost viewers in primetime, despite substantial viewing numbers for live coverage of the 2022 midterm elections and various other major news events. Fox News shed -2% in total prime time viewers, -8% of its primetime demo audience, yet gained +12% in total viewers across the 24-hour day, and +3% among adults 25-54 across the 24-hour day vs. 2021.
Fox News, which averaged the largest total audience on 2022 midterm elections night, shows comprised 13 of the 15 most-watched in cable news. The network also delivered 15 of the top 15 programs in the 25-54 demo.
For the first time in cable history, a non-primetime cable program The Five closed out the year as cable’s most-watched show of the year. The roundtable news talk show averaged 3.42 million total viewers, followed by 2021’s most-watched cable news show Tucker Carlson Tonight (3.3 million viewers), the network’s newest offering Jesse Watters Primetime (2.86 million), Hannity (2.81 million) with Special Report With Bret Baier (2.51 million) rounding out the top five.
Tucker Carlson Tonight reigned once again as the top cable news show among adults 25-54, averaging 517,000 in 2022. The Five (461,000), Hannity (416,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (392,000), and The Ingraham Angle followed.
Fox News is, of course, not the only cable news offering out there.
MSNBC completed its fifth consecutive year as the second-most-watched basic cable network in total day, and was the live coverage destination for the Jan. 6 Congressional committee hearings; accomplishments worth touting. However, it fell behind ESPN and into third place in primetime this past year, stopping its four-year-long streak at No. 2 in that daypart.
The story isn’t quite as positive for MSNBC when it comes to drawing viewers under 55, with the network placing No. 23 in the primetime demo and No. 21 in the total day demo.
In 2022, MSNBC averaged 1.205 million total primetime viewers, 132,000 adults 25-54 in primetime, 734,000 total viewers in the 24-hour daypart and 83,000 adults 25-54 in the 24-hour daypart. That is according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data.
Those numbers aren’t great, at least not relative to 2021. MSNBC shed -21% in total prime time viewers (1.205 million vs. 1.53 million), a cable news-high (or low) -39% in the prime time demo (132,000 vs. 216,000), -19% in total viewers across the 24-hour day (734,000 vs. 905,000) and -34% among adults 25-54 across the 24-hour day (83,000 vs. 125,000) from the prior year.
CNN was among basic cable’s 10-most-watched networks in 2022, taking the No. 10 spot in primetime (722,000) and No. 4 in total day (565,000). The network ranks No. 12 in the primetime demo (171,000) and No. 9 in total day demo viewing (122,000). However, in 2021, CNN ranked No. 5 in total primetime viewers, No. 3 in total day viewers, No. 9 in the primetime demo, and No. 5 in the total day demo.
CNN, like MSNBC, saw substantial year-over-year TV viewing losses despite 2022 being an election year. The network shed -33% win total primetime viewers, -36% of viewers from the primetime demo, -27% in total day viewers and -34% in the total day demo vs. 2021. In fact, the network’s 122,000 total day demo average in 2022 represents CNN’s smallest demo audience ever.
To be fair, 2021 was still CNN’s second-most-watched year in the network’s history, but the trend is a troubling one and CNN hopes to get the ship turned around in 2023.
ESPN remains the standard in drawing Americans under 55 to their TV sets. ESPN dominated the competition in primetime, averaging 800,000 A25-54 in primetime, ahead of fellow male-skewing and sports-driven networks TNT and TBS. Fox News ranks No. 4 in the primetime demo, followed by TLC. ESPN also knocked off Fox News (309,000 vs. 228,000) in drawing A25-54 in total day. TBS, driven by Warner Bros. movies and comedy programming, ranks third in the total day demo in 2022, followed by TNT and Food Network.
Below, the year-end ratings rankers. This is sorted by Nielsen live-plus-same day data and may change as additional data arrives in the coming days.