With Nielsen live plus same day data for the week of October 10 is now in, we can safely report Fox News Channel has now achieved 41 consecutive weeks as the most-watched basic cable network in the 24-hour daypart, and 87 consecutive weeks as the most-watched network on cable news.
FNC averaged 1.42 million total day viewers and 195,000 adults 25-54 in total day this past week. The 1.42 million is -3% and the 195,000 is -1% from what the network averaged in those two categories the previous week (Oct. 3).
Fox News also averaged 2.19 million total viewers in primetime this past week, -3% from the prior week and No. 3 on all of basic cable behind a Monday Night Football, college football and MLB Playoffs-driven ESPN, and an MLB Playoffs-driven TBS. ESPN averaged a basic cable-high 3.01 million primetime viewers this past week, while TBS averaged 2.5 million. FNC also averaged 275,000 adults 25-54 in primetime this past week, -2% from the previous week and tied for No. 4 on basic cable, tied with TNT (275,000) and behind overall ESPN (1.27 million), TBS (961,000), FS1 (521,000).
Compared with the same week in 2021 (beginning Oct. 11), which did not feature a Jan. 6 committee hearing but still featured a variety of high-profile sporting events on cable., Fox News shed -5% in total primetime viewers and a substantial -23% in the prime time demo. The network still gained +1% in total day viewers, but lost -14% in the total day demo.
CNN saw week-to-week audience gains that were driven by the network’s Jan. 6 committee hearing coverage on Thursday. CNN averaged 560,000 total day viewers during the week of Oct. 10, which is +6% from the prior week and No. 6 on all of basic cable. The network averaged 107,000 adults 25-54, which is +3% from the prior week and No. on basic cable. Shifting over to primetime, CNN averaged 649,000 total viewers, +3% from the prior week and No. 10 on basic cable, to go with 139,000 adults 25-54, +2% from the prior week and No. _ on basic cable.
CNN’s year-over-year trend is interesting. The network is -2% in total primetime viewers and -4% in the primetime demo, but +16% in total day viewers and +5% in the total day demo, primarily thanks to afternoon hours coverage of the hearing.
MSNBC finished the week of Oct. 10 as the fifth-most-watched basic cable network in primetime (1.31 million), dropping two spots in the rankings exclusively because of sports network viewership growth. MSNBC also averaged 843,000 total day viewers, a strong number but still just fourth on basic cable. MSNBC’s 1.31 million total primetime viewer average is +8% from the prior week, while its 843,000 total day viewer average is +13% from the prior week. MSNBC saw substantial A25-54 growth driven by live coverage of and surrounding Thursday’s hearing. The network averaged 132,000 adults 25-54 in primetime this past week, +20% from the prior week and No. 20 on basic cable. The network averaged only 92,000 adults 25-54 in total day, which is +21% from the prior week and No. 14 on all of basic cable.
Looking at the year-over-year trend, MSNBC gains +8% in total primetime viewers, but sheds -6% in the primetime demo, +25% in total day viewers and +24% in the total day demo.
Week of October 10 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen live-same-day data):
| PRIME TIME | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 2,186,000 | 1,310,000 | 649,000 |
| • A25-54: | 275,000 | 132,000 | 139,000 |
| TOTAL DAY | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,419,000 | 843,000 | 560,000 |
| • A25-54: | 195,000 | 92,000 | 107,000 |
In terms of individual programming, The Five is the most-watched cable news show for the eighth consecutive week. The news talk panel program averaged 3.29 million total viewers during the week of Oct. 10, down a bit from the prior week (3.37 million). Tucker Carlson Tonight is second place in total viewers (3.19 million at 8 p.m.), with Jesse Watters Primetime (2.75 million at 7 p.m.), Hannity (2.58 million at 9 p.m.) and Special Report with Bret Baier (2.36 million viewers at 6 p.m.) round out the top five.
Fox News is home to the week’s top eight cable news shows in total viewers. MSNBC’s The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell ranks No. 9 and averaged more viewers than its 9 p.m. lead-in this past week (1.72 million vs. 1.71 million).
Tucker Carlson Tonight remained No. 1 on cable news among adults 25-54, averaging 449,000 viewers from the measurement at 8 p.m. The Five ranked No. 2 (405,000), followed by the 11 p.m. Gutfeld! (336,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (324,000), and Special Report (311,000). Fox News is home to the week’s top 15 cable news shows among adults 25-54.
Below are the basic cable network rankers for this past week. The first is sorted by most to fewest total viewers, and the second is sorted by most to fewest adults 25-54: