OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Fox News continues to crush all cable news programs in the ratings and Jesse Watters hosts two of the network’s top programs. The hit show “The Five,” where Watters is a co-host, once again led all cable news shows in total viewers on Friday and it wasn’t even close.
“The Five” racked up a whopping 3.3 million total viewers. In comparison, CNN’s “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer” got 688,000.
The hit show “Jesse Watters Primetime,” also dominated the 7pm ET timeslot by getting around 3 million total viewers. MSNBC’s “Reidout” had roughly 1.1 million total viewers and CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront” got 712,000.
Below is another breakdown of the numbers from Mediaite between Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC.
As for the three cable news networks overall, here are the total day averages in total viewers and the 25-54 demo.
Total viewers:
CNN: 536,000
Fox News: 1.93 million
MSNBC: 924,000
25-54 Demo:
CNN: 111,000
Fox News: 266,000
MSNBC: 98,000
Here are the prime time averages — encompassing shows which air from 8-11 p.m. — in total viewers and the 25-54 demo.
Total viewers:
CNN: 547,000
Fox News: 2.95 million
MSNBC: 1.33 million
25-54 Demo:
CNN: 132,000
Fox News: 380,000
MSNBC: 121,000
Fox News has been blowing away its cable news competitors, which now include Newsmax and NewsNation, for most of President Joe Biden’s term.
“Fox News’ lowest-rated show in the advertiser-coveted 25-54 age demographic nearly doubled MSNBC’s highest-rated show in the demo on Tuesday,” Mediaite reported earlier this month. “Fox News not only swept the demo across all time slots, its lowest-rated show still outperformed CNN and MSNBC’s highest-rated program by a wide margin. Fox’s America Reports at 2 p.m. was its lowest performer in the demo, bringing in 221,000 viewers.”
“CNN’s top-rated show in the demo, meanwhile, was Erin Burnett’s OutFront — bringing in 147,000 demo viewers. MSNBC’s top-rated show was its 9 p.m. MSNBC Prime, which brought in 116,000 demo viewers, a little more than half of America Reports’ 221,000,” the report added.
Host Sean Hannity, who has been with Fox News since its launch in 1996, recently smashed another record after becoming a host for nearly 25 years and six months.
The network issued a statement celebrating the milestone, saying: “FOX News Channel’s (FNC) Sean Hannity has notched yet another industry milestone, becoming the longest-running primetime cable news host in television history. Today marks 25 consecutive years, six months, and 15 days at the helm of a primetime cable news program, breaking the previous longstanding record* held by the late talk show host Larry King. As cable news’ most enduring personality, Hannity has been a staple of FNC’s primetime lineup since the launch of the network in 1996, where his candid style and passionate commentary have made him one of the most prominent and influential voices in the country.”
The statement added:
FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service and has been the number one network in basic cable for the last six years and the most-watched television news channel for more than 20 consecutive years, currently attracting more than 50% of the cable news viewing audience according to Nielsen Media Research.
Notably, Nielsen/MRI Fusion has consistently shown FNC to be the network of choice for more Democrat and Independent viewers, with the most politically diverse audience in cable news. Additionally, a 2021 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report stated FOX News leads the news industry in both brand loyalty, engagement, and expectations while a 2022 Brand Keys poll showed FNC dominating morning and evening news in customer loyalty engagement. Owned by Fox Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 80 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top 15 programs in the genre.
“Sean’s authenticity and insightful commentary have created one of the most enduring connections with our audience and it’s been an honor to watch him over the years. A FOX News original, he has helped innovate the industry, and we are incredibly proud of his extraordinary success,” Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said of Hannity’s longevity and success.
Hannity said, “I am extremely grateful to FOX News Media and to our loyal, dedicated viewers whom I am proud to serve every night.”
Hannity is hardly the only host on the network smashing records.
Popular host Tucker Carlson’s primetime show on Fox News smashed another key barrier earlier this year. Television viewership data released by Nielsen/MRI Fusion reveals that Carlson’s show is the number one most-watched show among Democrats in the key demographic of 25-54 year-olds.
