Hamas’ surprise Saturday morning assault on Israel sent TV news scrambling into breaking news mode. Fox News established a hold on the No. 1 spot, and CNN moved into second place; and as is often the case, saw the most substantial audience growth when wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks when into effect. MSNBC didn’t see quite as much week-to-week viewer growth as CNN, but continues to trend positively on a year-over-year basis and remained the second most watched cable news network, ahead of CNN in total viewers.
This is the basic cable ranker and programming report for the week of October 2, 2023.
NETWORKS
With Nielsen live plus same day data for the week of Oct. 2, 2023 officially in, Fox News Channel remained in its usual position as the top-rated cable news network in total viewers and among Adults 25-54.
Fox News ranked No. 2 in total primetime viewers (behind ESPN) and No. 4 in the primetime demo (behind MLB playoffs/football-carrying ESPN, ESPN2 and TBS) this past week. The network averaged 2.05 million viewers and 231,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, -6% and -16% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week. While one might have expected viewer growth in light of the Hamas-Israel war coverage over the weekend, it’s worth remembering that the previous week featured a highly-rated primetime Fox News simulcast of the FBN-Univision GOP debate.
Fox News’ week-to-week growth came outside of the primetime daypart, including in total day viewing. FNC averaged 1.3 million total viewers and 155,000 A25-54 viewers in total day, +8% and +5%, respectively, from the week prior. The 1.3 million total viewer average is No. 1 on all of basic cable, while the 155,000 A25-54 average in total day is No. 2 on all of basic cable.
MSNBC averaged 1.49 million viewers and 152,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, -2% but +10% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week. The network’s 1.49 million total primetime viewer average for the week is No. 3 on all of basic cable (behind Fox News and ESPN), and its 152,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. on all of basic cable.
In total day, MSNBC averaged a solid 977,000 total viewers and 105,000 A25-54 viewers, +4% and +11%, respectively, from the week prior. The 977,000 total viewer average is No. 2 on all of basic cable, while the 105,000 A25-54 average is No. on all of basic cable.
CNN benefited more from the breaking news story than any other network, averaging 779,000 total viewers and 155,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime for the week of Oct. 2, growth of +36% and +37% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Sept. 25). The 779,000 total primetime viewer average is No. on all of basic cable, and the 155,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average for the week is No. on all of basic cable.
In total day, CNN averaged 610,000 total viewers and 118,000 A25-54 viewers, +28% and +36%, respectively, from the week prior. The 610,000 total viewer average is No. on all of basic cable, while the 118,000 A25-54 average is No. on all of basic cable.
How did Fox News, MSNBC and CNN fare relative to the year-ago week? Fox News continues to shed viewers. The network is -9% in total primetime viewers, -18% in the primetime demo, -12% in total day viewers and -21% in the total day demo. CNN and MSNBC, conversely, gained viewers from the same week in 2022. After weeks of year-over-year audience losses, CNN improved by +23% in total primetime viewers, +14% in the primetime demo, +15% in total day viewers and +13% in the total day demo from the year-ago week. MSNBC continues to out-perform relative to 2022. The network is +23% in total primetime viewers, +38% in the primetime demo, +31% in total day viewers and +38% in the total day demo vs. the week of Oct. 3, 2022.
Week of Oct. 2 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen live-same-day data):
| PRIMETIME | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 2,046,000 | 1,487,000 | 779,000 |
| • A25-54: | 231,000 | 152,000 | 155,000 |
| TOTAL DAY | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,297,000 | 977,000 | 610,000 |
| • A25-54: | 155,000 | 105,000 | 118,000 |
Below are the basic cable network rankers — sorted by average total viewers followed by Adults 25-54.
Week of Oct. 2 (Total Viewers)
PROGRAMMING
In terms of daily cable news programming, The Five remained No. 1 in total viewers, averaging 2.83 million total viewers at 5 p.m., while Gutfeld! ascended to No. 1 on cable news among Adults 25-54, averaging 302,000 viewers at 10 p.m.
Fox News had the six most-watched daily cable news offerings for the week of Oct. 2. Jesse Watters Primetime secured second place among all daily cable news shows with a 2.6 million total viewer average at 8 p.m. Hannity remained in third place with a 2.37 million total viewer average at 9 p.m., with The Ingraham Angle (2.14 million at 7 p.m.) and Gutfeld! (2.06 million) rounding out the top five.
Six through 10 in total viewers: Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier (2.02 million at 6 p.m.), MSNBC’s Deadline: White House (1.945 million at 4-6 p.m.), The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell (1.94 million at 10 p.m.), All In With Chris Hayes (1.75 million at 8 p.m.) and Alex Wagner Tonight (1.72 million at 9 p.m.) rounding out the top 10 in total viewers.
Fox News boasts each of the top six cable news shows and 7 of the top 10 of the week among Adults 25-54. Gutfeld!, as previously mentioned, leads the way with a 302,000 average. The Five drops to No. 2 (280,000), followed by Hannity (252,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (244,000), The Ingraham Angle (227,000), Special Report With Bret Baier (208,000), CNN’s Erin Burnett Outfront (198,000 at 7 p.m.), Fox News’ Outnumbered (192,000 at 12 p.m. ET), CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 (188,000 at 8 p.m.) and MSNBC’s The Beat With Ari Melber (185,000 at 6 p.m.) rounding out the top 10.