This is the basic cable ranker and programming report for the week of September 11, 2023.
NETWORKS
With Nielsen live plus same day data for the week of Sept. 11, 2023 officially in, Fox News remained in its usual position as the top-rated cable news network in total viewers and among Adults 25-54.
For the week, FNC averaged 1.75 million viewers and 191,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, +13% and +10% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (the week of Sept. 4). The 1.75 million total primetime viewer average is No. 2 on all of basic cable, and the 191,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 6 on all of basic cable.
FNC averaged 1.11 million total viewers and 138,000 A25-54 viewers in total day, +8% and +5%, respectively, from the week prior, which started on a low-rated Labor Day. The 1.11 million total viewer average is No. 2 on all of basic cable, while the 138,000 A25-54 average in total day is also No. 2 on all of basic cable.
So, who actually finished ahead of Fox News this past week? Well, with college football and Monday Night Football back on the air, ESPN earned the No. 1 ranking both in total viewers and among adults 25-54 this past week, in primetime and in total day as well. The network averaged 2.745 million total viewers in primetime, 1.27 million A25-54 viewers in primetime, 1.12 million total viewers in total day and 537,000 A25-54 viewers in total day.
Back in the cable news universe, MSNBC averaged 1.26 million viewers and 116,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, +23% and +13% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Sept. 4). The 1.26 million total primetime viewer average is No. 3 on all of basic cable (behind ESPN and Fox), but the 116,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 18 on all of basic cable.
In total day, MSNBC averaged 805,000 total viewers and 87,000 A25-54 viewers, +10% and +9%, respectively, from the week prior. The 805,000 total viewer average is No. 3 on all of basic cable, while the 87,000 A25-54 average is tied with MTV for No. 8 on all of basic cable.
Fox News and MSNBC saw week-to-week growth after the Labor Day holiday.
CNN did not.
CNN had a subpar ratings week, averaging just 483,000 viewers and 98,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime for the week of Sept. 11, -18% and -9% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Sept. 4). The 483,000 total primetime viewer average is No. 14 on all of basic cable, and the 98,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 24 on all of basic cable.
In total day, CNN averaged 433,000 total viewers and 82,000 A25-54 viewers, -8% and -1%, respectively, from the week prior. The 433,000 total viewer average is No. 5 on all of basic cable, while the 82,000 A25-54 average is No. 11 on all of basic cable.
Now looking at the big three cable newsers relative to the year-ago week of Sept. 12, 2022, Fox News posted year-over-year decline of -21% in total primetime viewers and -32% in the primetime demo. The network is also still trending in the wrong direction when it comes to total day viewing, shedding -22% in total day viewers and -29% in the total day demo. MSNBC, on the other hand, improved upon its 2022 performance. It is +0.2% in total primetime viewers, +4% in the primetime demo, +2% in total day viewers and +7% in the total day demo from the same week in 2022. CNN, similar to Fox News, posted year-over-year losses. The network is -31% in total primetime viewers, -28% in the primetime demo, -27% in total day viewers and -24% in the total day demo versus the week of Sept. 12, 2022.
Week of September 11 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen live-same-day data):
| PRIMETIME | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,751,000 | 1,259,000 | 483,000 |
| • A25-54: | 191,000 | 116,000 | 98,000 |
| TOTAL DAY | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,111,000 | 805,000 | 433,000 |
| • A25-54: | 138,000 | 87,000 | 82,000 |
Below are the basic cable network rankers — sorted by average total viewers followed by Adults 25-54.
Week of Sept. 11 (Total Viewers)
Week of Sept. 11 (Adults 25-54)
PROGRAMMING
The Five remained in first place among all daily cable news programming, averaging a cable news-high 2.71 million total viewers and 302,000 A25-54 viewers for the week of Sept. 11, 2023.
Fox News had the six most-watched daily cable news offerings once again. Jesse Watters Primetime secured second place among all daily cable news shows with a 2.33 million total viewer average at 8 p.m. Hannity remained in third place with a 2.14 million total viewer average at 9 p.m., with Gutfeld! (1.97 million at 10 p.m.) and Special Report with Bret Baier (1.91 million at 6 p.m.) rounding out the top five.
Six through 10 in total viewers: The Ingraham Angle (1.87 million at 7 p.m.), MSNBC’s The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell (1.70 million at 10 p.m.), The Beat with Ari Melber (1.52 million at 6 p.m.), Fox News’ Outnumbered (1.5 million at 12 p.m.), and MSNBC’s Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace (1.49 million at 4-6 p.m.).
Fox News boasts each of the top 12 cable news shows of the week among Adults 25-54. The Five leads the way with a 302,000 average, followed by Gutfeld! (263,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (235,000), Hannity (214,000), and Special Report with Bret Baier (204,000)
Six through 10 in the A25-54 demo are: The Ingraham Angle (203,000), Outnumbered (183,000), America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith (172,000 from 2-4 p.m.), The Faulkner Focus (170,000 at 11 a.m.), and Your World with Neil Cavuto (168,000 at 4 p.m.).
