FOX NEWS CHANNEL PREVAILS AS THE MOST-WATCHED CABLE NEWS NETWORK FOR 69 CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS
FNC Leads All of Basic Cable in Total Day and Primetime
Hannity Is the Most-Watched Program on Cable News for 1Q’2019
Tucker Carlson Tonight Is the Number One Show in 25-54 Demo for March
FOX News Channel (FNC) continues to crush the cable news landscape, marking 69 consecutive quarters as the most-watched cable news network in both total day and primetime among total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. In the primetime 25-54 demo, FNC is also notching 44 consecutive quarters as the top-rated cable news channel. Notably, among all of basic cable, FNC was the most-watched network across both total day and primetime, marking 11 consecutive quarters in the top spot in total day.
During 1Q’19, FNC averaged 1,403,000 total viewers and 252,000 with A25-54 in total day. In primetime, FNC delivered 2,446,000 total viewers and 421,000 in the 25-54 demographic. FNC also bested MSNBC and CNN in both primetime and total day with Viewers (P2+) and A25-54. FNC had double digit percent advantages over MSNBC and CNN in both categories, as well as triple digit percent advantages over CNN in primetime total viewers.
For the month of March, FOX News Channel continued to be the number one cable news network in total day and primetime among both total viewers. Among total day, FNC garnered 1,426,000 total viewers and 253,000 in the 25-54 demo. In primetime, FNC dominated with 2,510,000 total viewers and 419,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX News Channel’s Hannity was the most-watched cable news program in total viewers for the second consecutive month with 3.1 million viewers. Tucker Carlson Tonight also took the top spot in the 25-54 demo for the first time in the program’s history with 537,000. Additionally, FOX News Channel was the number one network in all of basic cable among total viewers for total day and primetime.
Additionally, the network claimed 12 of the top 20 cable news programs in total viewers and 10 of the top 20 in the 25-54 demo for the quarter. FNC’s evening and primetime programs were among the top four shows in total viewers and the 25-54 demo, including Hannity (9PM/ET) as the number one program in all of cable news among total viewers with 3,109,000, and 540,000 in the 25-54 timeslot. Tucker Carlson Tonight also ranked first in its timeslot with 2,982,000 viewers and 532,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Five (5PM/ET) dominated the 5PM/ET hour with 2,575,000 viewers and 400,000 in the 25-54 demo, while The Ingraham Angle crushed the 10PM/ET timeslot with 2,435,000 viewers and 431,000 in the 25-54 demo.
Kicking off the day at 4AM/ET, FOX & Friends First with Heather Childers was the number one show in its timeslot with 479,000 viewers, followed by FOX & Friends First at 5AM/ET, which averaged 645,000 viewers. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (6-9AM/ET) marked 209 consecutive months as the highest-rated morning show in cable news with 1,463,000 viewers and 289,000 in the demo. America’s Newsroom with co-anchors Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith (9AM-12PM/ET) garnered 1,626,000 viewers and 265,000 with A25-54. FNC’s afternoon ensemble program, Outnumbered (12PM/ET), posted 1,607,000 viewers and 266,000 in the demo. At 1PM/ET, Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner averaged 1,432,000 viewers and 240,000 in the 25-54 demo while The Daily Briefing at 2PM/ET delivered 1,437,000 viewers and 229,000 with A25-54. At 3PM/ET, Shepard Smith Reporting averaged 1,362,000 viewers and 214,000 in the demo while Your World with Neil Cavuto averaged 1,492,000 viewers and 240,000 with A25-54.
Among FNC’s early and late evening programming, Special Report with Bret Baier (6PM/ET) garnered 2,256,000 viewers and 372,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Story with Martha MacCallum at 7PM/ET delivered 1,958,000 viewers and 347,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 11PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream averaged 1,396,000 viewers and 292,000 in the 25-54 demo.
Additionally, according to Nielsen Media Research, FOX & Friends, Americas Newsroom, Outnumbered, Outnumbered Overtime, The Daily Briefing, Shepard Smith Reporting, The Five, Special Report, The Story, Tucker Carlson Tonight, Hannity and The Ingraham Angle all rank number one in their respective timeslots in all of basic cable for first quarter.
On the weekends, Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays 10AM/ET) was the top rated show in cable news weekend programming in the 25-54 demo for first quarter with 279,000 and 1.5 million viewers. MediaBuzz hosted by Howie Kurtz delivered 1.4 million viewers and 248,000 in the 25-54 demo, propelling him to the lead spot on Sundays at 11AM/ET. Additionally, FNC won all weekend primetime hours in total viewers, including Watters World (1,730,000 in P2+; 235,000 in 25-54), Justice with Judge Jeanine (2,015,000 in P2+; 241,000 in 25-54), The Greg Gutfeld Show (1,691,000 in P2+; 261,000 in 25-54), The Next Revolution with Steve Hilton (1,182,000 in P2+; 170,000 in 25-54), and Life, Liberty and Levin (1,228,000 in P2+; 193,000 in 25-54).
In addition, FOX News Digital delivered its highest quarter ever in Page Views and Media Initiates, up 23 percent and 42 percent respectively versus the prior year, according to data from Adobe Analytics. In the competitive set, FOX News was the number one most engaged news brand on social media in Q1 2019 with 139 Million interactions (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), up seven percent versus Q4 2018, according to Socialbakers and Shareablee. Additionally, FOX News drove 50 percent more interactions than Cable News competition (CNN+MSNBC) combined in Q1 2019.
FIRST QUARTER 2019 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Hannity (3,121,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (3,057,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (2,982,000), The Five (2,575,000), The Ingraham Angle (2,434,000)
Adults 25-54: The Rachel Maddow Show (549,000), Hannity (547,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (532,000), The Ingraham Angle (434,000), The Five (400,000)
1Q’19 VS. 1Q’18 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,403,000 total viewers – down 3% (252,000 in 25-54 – down 16%)
CNN: 715,000 total viewers – flat (199,000 in 25-54 – down 14%)
MSNBC: 1,087,000 total viewers – up 8% (183,000 in 25-54 – down 17%)
PRIMETIME: 8-11PM/ET
FNC: 2,446,000 total viewers – down 1% (421,000 in 25-54 – down 15%)
CNN: 1,058,000 total viewers – up 7% (308,000 in 25-54 – down 10%)
MSNBC: 1,919,000 total viewers – up 3% (333,000 in 25-54 – down 18%)
MARCH 2019 VS. MARCH 2018 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):
TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,426,000 total viewers – up 7% (253,000 in 25-54 – down 6%)
CNN: 639,000 total viewers – down 12% (173,000 in 25-54 – down 25%)
MSNBC: 1,039,000 total viewers – up 1% (171,000 in 25-54 – down 24%)
PRIMETIME: 8-11PM/ET
FNC: 2,510,000 total viewers – up 11% (419,000 in 25-54 – down 6%)
CNN: 921,000 total viewers – down 11% (256,000 in 25-54 – down 24%)
MSNBC: 1,836,000 total viewers – down 3% (312,000 in 25-54 – down 23%)
MARCH 2019 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:
Total Viewers: Hannity (3,145,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,032,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (2,886,000), The Five (2,533,000), The Ingraham Angle (2,510,000)
25-54 Demo: Tucker Carlson Tonight (537,000), Hannity (533,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (509,000), The Ingraham Angle (428,000), The Five (385,000)
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 17 consecutive years. According to a 2019 Suffolk University poll, FOX News is the most trusted source for television news or commentary in the country while a 2019 Brand Keys Emotion Engagement Brand Analysis survey found that FOX News was the most trusted cable news brand. A 2017 Gallup/Knight Foundation survey also found that among Americans who could name an objective news source, FOX News is the top-cited outlet. Owned by FOX Corporation, FNC is available in nearly 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.
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FOX News Media Contact:
Jaclyn Giuliano 212-301-3436