This is TVNewser’s basic cable network ranker and cable news report for the week of October 19, 2026.
Fox News, MS NOW, and CNN gained viewers week over week in total viewers. However, MS NOW grew across the board.
CNN’s demo loss was MS NOW’s gain as the network moved ahead of the now-owned Skydance property to capture second place within that measurement.
NETWORKS:
According to Nielsen big data + panel for the week of Oct. 19, Fox News averaged 1.747 million total viewers and 140,000 A25-54 viewers during primetime. The network was up +1% in total viewers but fell by -11% in the demo compared with the prior week (the week beginning Oct. 12).
During total day viewing, Fox News averaged 1.156 million total viewers and 103,000 A25-54 viewers. Based on the previous week’s average, the network grew by +5% in total viewers and the demo.
Fox News moved from third to second in total primetime viewership and remained fourth in demo viewership among all basic cable networks. During total day, it remained first in total viewers and was in third place in the total day demo.
MS NOW averaged 954,000 total viewers and 111,000 viewers in the A25-54 demo for the week that just concluded. This represented gains of +3% in total viewers and +19% in the demo compared with its primetime average the prior week.
During total day, MS NOW averaged 609,000 total viewers and 67,000 demo viewers. It was up by +2% in total viewers and +12% in the demo compared with the network’s average the prior week. It was the only network with double-digit gains in either of the measured categories.
Among all basic cable networks, MS NOW jumped to third from fifth place in total primetime viewers and was sixth in the demo. It continued to be in third in total viewers and finished in sixth place in the total day demo.
CNN averaged 632,000 total primetime viewers and 117,000 demo viewers. It was up by +1% in total viewers and +2% in the demo compared to the previous week.
During total day, the network had 424,000 total viewers and 65,000 viewers in the demo. For CNN, it gained +1% in total viewers but was down -4% in the demo during this daypart.
Among all cable networks, CNN climbed from sixth to fifth place in total viewers and was also in a similar position in the demo during primetime. It was No. 4 in total day among total viewers and remained in eighth in the demo.
When looking at these networks’ performance during the same period a year ago:
- During primetime, Fox News was down -23% in total viewers and -35% in the A25-54 demo. During total day, the network was down -21% in total viewers and -26% in the demo—the only network with declines within this yearly comparison.
- MS NOW was up +30% in total viewers and +79% in the demo. During total day, the network gained +28% in total viewers and +60% in the demo.
- In primetime, CNN was up by +28% in total viewers and +48% in the demo. During total day, it was up by +11% in total viewers and +10% in the demo.
PROGRAMMING:
Fox News held 12 of the 15 spots among the week’s most-watched cable news shows, with The Five in first place with 2.794 million total viewers at 5 p.m. ET. MS NOW was represented in the chart by Monday’s 9 p.m. ET airing of The Rachel Maddow Show, with 1.806 million total viewers at No. 7. The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, airing weeknights at 10 p.m. ET, took 14th place with 1.242 million total viewers. The 5 p.m. ET edition of Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace ranked 15th with 1.163 million total viewers.
Fox News held 11 of the 15 top spots in the Adults 25-54 demo, with The Five in the No. 1 position with 235,000 viewers. MS NOW’s The Rachel Maddow Show was in third place with 186,000 demo viewers. The other MS NOW program in the top 15 was The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, averaging 145,000 viewers to take 11th place. CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, which airs five nights a week at 10 p.m. ET, was at No. 9 with 147,000 viewers, and CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, which airs weeknights at 9 p.m. ET, was in 12th place with 135,000 demo viewers.
October 19, 2026 (Nielsen Big Data + Panel):
Prime Time
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,747,000 | 954,000 | 632,000 |
| • A25-54: | 140,000 | 111,000 | 117,000 |
Total Day
| Fox News | MS NOW | CNN | |
| • Total Viewers: | 1,156,000 | 609,000 | 424,000 |
| • A25-54: | 103,000 | 67,000 | 65,000 |
