This is the basic cable ranker and programming report for the week of September 18, 2023.
NETWORKS
With Nielsen live plus same day data for the week of Sept. 18, 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.
Fox also moved past ESPN in total primetime viewers. For the week, FNC averaged 1.74 million viewers and ,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, -1% and -3% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (the week of Sept. 11). The 1.74 million total primetime viewer average is No. 1 on all of basic cable, and the 186,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 6 on all of basic cable.
FNC averaged 1.09 million total viewers and 132,000 A25-54 viewers in total day, -2% and -4%, respectively, from the week prior. The 1.09 million total viewer average also happens to be No. 1 on all of basic cable, while the 132,000 A25-54 average in total day is also No. 2 on all of basic cable.
Elsewhere in cable news land, MSNBC averaged more than 1.24 million viewers and 112,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime, -1% and -3% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Sept. 11). MSNBC’s 1.24 million total primetime viewer average for the week is No. 3 on all of basic cable (behind Fox News and ESPN), but its 112,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 19 on all of basic cable.
In total day, MSNBC averaged 801,000 total viewers and 84,000 A25-54 viewers, -0.5% and -3%, respectively, from the week prior. The 801,000 total viewer average is No. 3 on all of basic cable, while the 84,000 A25-54 average is No. 11 on all of basic cable.
CNN gained back some of the total primetime viewers it lost the prior week, but struggled in total day and in A25-54. The network averaged 512,000 total viewers but only 97,000 Adults 25-54 in primetime for the week of Sept. 18, +6% and -1% respectively, from what the network averaged the previous week (Sept. 11). The 512,000 total primetime viewer average is No. 11 on all of basic cable, and the 97,000 A25-54 primetime viewer average is No. 24 on all of basic cable.
In total day, however, CNN averaged just 419,000 total viewers and ,000 A25-54 viewers, -3% and -9%, respectively, from the week prior. The 419,000 total viewer average is No. 5 on all of basic cable, while the 75,000 A25-54 average is No. 13 on all of basic cable.
And with Warner Bros. Discovery’s recent decision to add CNN’s top shows to the CNN Max hub, one shouldn’t be shocked if the network’s daily Nielsen ratings continue to shrink on those lighter news days going forward.
How did Fox News, MSNBC and CNN fare relative to the year-ago week? Well, Fox News posted year-over-year decline of -19% in total primetime viewers and -34% in the primetime demo. The network is also still trending in the wrong direction when it comes to total day viewing, shedding -24% in total day viewers and -36% in the total day demo. MSNBC shed just -1% in total primetime viewers, gained +2% in the primetime demo, -5% in total day viewers and +2% in the total day demo from the same week in 2022. CNN, similar to Fox News, posted year-over-year losses across audience measurements. The network is -24% in total primetime viewers, -27% in the primetime demo, -31% in total day viewers and -35% in the total day demo versus the week of Sept. 19, 2022.
Week of September 18 cable news ratings, Monday-Sunday (Nielsen live-same-day data):
| PRIMETIME | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,738,000 | 1,243,000 | 512,000 |
| • A25-54: | 186,000 | 112,000 | 97,000 |
| TOTAL DAY | Fox News | MSNBC | CNN |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Total Viewers: | 1,089,000 | 801,000 | 419,000 |
| • A25-54: | 132,000 | 84,000 | 75,000 |
Below are the basic cable network rankers — sorted by average total viewers followed by Adults 25-54.
Week of Sept. 18 (Total Viewers)
Week of Sept. 18 (Adults 25-54)
PROGRAMMING
The Five remained in first place among all daily cable news programming, averaging a cable news-high 2.66 million total viewers and 268,000 A25-54 viewers for the week of Sept. 18, 2023.
Fox News had the six most-watched daily cable news offerings for the third consecutive week. 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 2.07 million total viewer average at 9 p.m., with Gutfeld! (1.94 million at 10 p.m.) and The Ingraham Angle (1.76 million at 7 p.m.) rounding out the top five.
Six through 10 in total viewers: Special Report With Bret Baier ( 1.75 million at 7 p.m.), MSNBC’s The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell (1.62 million at 10 p.m.), Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace (1.5 million at 4-6 p.m.), The Beat with Ari Melber (1.46 million at 6 p.m.), with Fox News’ Outnumbered rounding out the top 10 with a 1.42 million total viewer average at 12 p.m. ET.
Fox News boasts each of the top 10 cable news shows of the week among Adults 25-54. The Five leads the way with a 268,000 average, edging Gutfeld! by just 5,000 viewers (263,000). Fox News mid-morning/day shows Outnumbered (180,000), The Faulkner Focus (179,000) and America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (168,000) all climbed up the A25-54 cable news charts.
Week of Sept. 18, 2023:
Daily Cable News Program Ranker / Nielsen Live+SD data