NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FOX News Channel (FNC) continued its ratings dominance in August, notching 94 of the top 100 cable telecasts for the month and 13 of the top 14 cable news programs in overall viewers and the younger A25-54 demo, as well as number one in all of weekday primetime television during the past three weeks, according to Nielsen Media Research. Additionally, the network remained the most-watched network in all of basic cable, sweeping the competition in both total day and primetime total viewers, posting triple-digit leads in some cases. From 8-11 PM/ET, FNC delivered 2.5 million viewers, 394,000 in the 25-54 demographic, and 244,000 with A18-49. In total day, FNC garnered 1.4 million viewers, 238,000 with the key 25-54 demo and 149,000 with A18-49.
Notably, FNC beat CNN by more than 200 percent in primetime with total viewers and more than 100 percent in primetime with A25-54. In total day, CNN again plummeted by 39 percent in overall viewers and saw 47 percent declines in the younger 25-54 demo. Despite a heavy breaking news month, CNN saw its lowest-rated month in weekday primetime viewers, with Cuomo Prime Time seeing its lowest-rated month since February 2020 while the new iteration of New Day had its worst month since July 2019. Meanwhile, MSNBC saw lows dating back to 2015 in the demo and 2017 in viewers, losing more than 40 percent year-over-year in all categories, as FNC remained the top-rated cable news network year-to-date in both total day and primetime total viewers.
In August, viewers watched FNC more than any other cable news channel helping the network capture averaging 4.1 million viewers and 809,000 with A25-54 during primetime on the days the Taliban took over Afghanistan and last Thursday when a suicide attack killed 13 U.S. service members. The network closed out the month as the number one network in all of weekday television in primetime, besting broadcast and all of cable in total viewers during the past 3 weeks, bolstered by wall-to-wall breaking news coverage surrounding Afghanistan and Hurricane Ida.
At 8 PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight completed the month as the top-rated program in its timeslot in all categories, averaging over 3.3 million viewers and 551,000 in the 25-54 demo, as well as 348,000 in the 18-49 category. Hannity at 9 PM/ET followed suit with A25-54, averaging 3 million viewers in August, 503,000 in the 25-54 demo and 309,000 among adults 18-49. Knocking MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show out of third place, The Five at 5 PM/ET notched the top three rated show in the demo with 3.1 million viewers, and 460,000 in the 25-54 demo, as well as 298,000 in the 18-49 demo. At 10 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle garnered 2.4 million viewers, 410,000 in the 25-54 demo and 245,000 in 18-49 for August. Rounding out the top five programs at 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier, delivered 2.2 million viewers, 349,000 with A25-54 and 235,000 with A18-49 was the only news program to be included. Notably, FOX News Primetime averaged 2 million viewers, 318,000 with A25-54 and 205,000 with A18-49. FOX News delivered five programs that exceeded 2 million viewers for the month.
Greg Gutfeld’s new late-night program Gutfeld! finished the month as the number-one-rated show in cable television in total viewers at 11 PM/ET, and number seven overall with 1.7 million viewers, 312,000 with A25-54 demo and 191,000 in 18-49 demo. Gutfeld! outpaced ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in total viewers while topping Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and all other cable late night programs in both total viewers and the younger A25-54 demo. This month, Gutfeld! also notched its first weekly win against CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in total viewers and in the demo. Notably, Colbert hasn’t lost a week since February 2018, and this month, Colbert delivered 1.9 million with 395,000 in A25-54, whereas Gutfeld posted 2 million viewers and 405,000 with the A25-54 demo. In addition to surpassing every CNN program in total viewers for the month, Gutfeld! crushed its timeslot competitors, CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight and MSNBC’s The 11th Hour with Brian Williams, across the board. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream had an average audience of 928,000 viewers and 202,000 in the 25-54 demo.
From 4-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST garnered 467,000 viewers. FNC’s FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) marked its fifth straight month as the top-rated cable news morning show across the board, with 1.2 million viewers and 209,000 in the demo, easily outpacing CNN’s New Day and MSNBC’s Morning Joe across both categories. Meanwhile, CNN’s sixth relaunch attempt of New Day delivered a meager 438,000 viewers and 90,000 in the coveted 25-54 demo notching double-digit losses with both the demo and total viewers.
FNC’s daytime lineup, kicking off with a two-hour morning news program America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), saw 1.5 million viewers and 248,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, also notched 1.6 million viewers and 248,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.7 million viewers and 264,000 in the demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.6 million viewers and 266,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.6 million viewers and 276,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET delivered its highest-rated month of the year, nabbing 1.7 million viewers and 290,000 in the 25-54.
Once again, FNC’s Saturday primetime powerhouse lineup swept their respective timeslots and earned the top three highest-rated programs, besting all cable news competition in both total viewers and in the demo for the month. FNC’s Watters’ World hosted by Jesse Watters (Saturdays at 8 PM/ET) earned the number one program in total viewers, with 2 million and 262,000 in the demo. Justice with Judge Jeanine (Saturdays at 9 PM/ET) followed as the next most-watched, also with 1.8 million viewers and 215,000 in the demo. Unfiltered with Dan Bongino (Saturdays at 10 PM/ET), easily beat CNN and MSNBC combined in total viewers, delivering 1.7 million viewers and 217,000 with A25-54.
On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10 AM/ET) earned the top-rated spot in the coveted 25-54 category during August, with 1.8 million viewers and 267,000 in the demo. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, delivered 1.4 million viewers and the next most-watched program in the 25-54 demo, with 239,000, outpacing CNN’s Reliable Sources (896,000 viewers and 159,000 with A25-54) across the board. FNC’s newest program on Sunday evenings, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 7 PM/ET), trounced every CNN and MSNBC program in total viewers, drawing an audience of 1.8 million viewers and 237,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin earned 1.7 million viewers and 215,000 in the demo, while The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton (Sundays, 9 PM/ET) secured 1.6 million viewers and 230,000 in the demo. FOX & Friends Weekend (Weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) dominated CNN and MSNBC every hour in both categories for the month, earning 1.3 million viewers and 203,000 in the demo. Additionally, FOX Report with Jon Scott (1.3 million viewers; 224,000 A25-54) surpassed the cable news competition in its timeslot.
AUGUST 2021 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,302,000), The Five (3,106,0000 Hannity (3,009,000), The Ingraham Angle (2,394,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,186,000)
Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (551,000), Hannity (503,000), The Five (460,000), The Ingraham Angle (410,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (349,000)
AUGUST 2021 VS. AUGUST 2020 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,420,000 total viewers – down 20% (238,000 in 25-54 – down 24%)
CNN: 621,000 total viewers – down 39% (136,000 in 25-54 – down 47%)
MSNBC: 732,000 total viewers – down 41% (96,000 in 25-54 – down 51%)
PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,474,000 total viewers – down 32% (394,000 in 25-54 – down 38%)
CNN: 819,000 total viewers – down 51% (191,000 in 25-54 – down 58%)
MSNBC: 1,229,000 total viewers – down 44% (163,000 in 25-54 – down 55%)
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one network in cable, FNC has been the most watched television news channel for more than 19 consecutive years. According to a 2021 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report, FOX News leads the news industry in both brand loyalty, engagement and expectations. A 2019 Suffolk University poll also named FOX News as the most trusted source for television news or commentary, while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. Owned by FOX Corp, FNC is available in 80 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
