Advertisement

Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson Dominate Cable News Ratings

Advertisement

OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Fox News continues to smash ratings records and popular hosts Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity have played a crucial role in that.

“Fox News’s Sean Hannity scored second place in the ratings Thursday in the key 25-54 age demographic. Hannity raked in 515,000 demo viewers at 9 p.m., just behind Tucker Carlson’s 587,000 demo viewers,” Mediaite reported.

“Carlson often lands on top in the demo, but it is rare for Hannity to surpass The Five, which came in sixth place Thursday behind Jesse Watters, Laura Ingraham, and Greg Gutfeld. Hannity also returned to the top three in terms of total viewers, behind The Five and Tucker Carlson Tonight, which scored first and second place in the ratings — respectively,” the outlet added.

On Friday night, Hannity led the 8 PM ET time slot with just over 3.3 million total viewers.

In comparison, MSNBC’s Alex Wagner had 1.5 million total viewers and CNN’s “Election night in America” had 995,000.

Below is a breakdown from Mediaite on how the networks performed:

Total viewers:

CNN: 754,000

Fox News: 2.15 million

Advertisement

MSNBC: 1.06 million

25-54 Demo:

CNN: 182,000

Fox News: 335,000

MSNBC: 137,000

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: 1.07 million

Fox News: 3.25 million

MSNBC: 1.56 million

25-54 Demo:

CNN: 295,000

Fox News: 525,000

MSNBC: 191,000

Earlier this year, Hannity, who has been with Fox News since its launch in 1996, smashed another record after becoming a host for nearly 25 years and six months.

Fox News 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.”

Advertisement

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.