Fox News

 Coverage of Ukraine Crisis Sees Viewership Growth Across the Board, Topping Cable News with 24/7 Coverage – Only Network to Post Growth Across the Board over 2021 

“The Five” Ranks Number One in Total Viewers for the Fourth Month; “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Dominates in 25-54 and 18-49 Demos

Newly-Launched “Jesse Watters Primetime” Continues to be a Ratings Hit Delivering More Than 3 Million Viewers for the Second Consecutive Month

FNC Delivers February’s Largest Viewership Share in Cable News with Most Politically-Diverse Audience

NEW YORK – March 1, 2022 – After marking 20 consecutive years at #1, FOX News Channel (FNC) continued its ratings dominance for the month of February, according to Nielsen Media Research. FNC closed out the month as the number one network in cable in total day viewership and was an immediate destination for breaking news as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine unfolded, topping cable news across the board in total day and primetime viewers & 25-54 demo. Throughout February, FNC continued to grow its audience share, occupying more than half the audience in total day viewers (55%) and the 25-54 demo (55%) and in primetime across both categories (57% P2+ and 56% A25-54) and was the only network to post growth over last year in viewers and demo. Notably, FNC continues to deliver the largest and most politically diverse audience, attracting more Democrat and Independent viewers in both total day and primetime than CNN and MSNBC.

In February, FNC notched 97 of the top 100 cable telecasts for the month, meanwhile CNN did not have one telecast in the top 100. FNC swept the top 106 cable news programs in overall viewers. FNC was also the only cable news network to experience year over year growth. Additionally, FNC remained the most-watched network in cable news, beating CNN and MSNBC combined in both total day and primetime across both categories for seven consecutive months. In primetime, FNC delivered 2.6 million viewers, 443,000 in the 25-54 demo and 274,000 with 18-49. In total day, FNC garnered 1.7 million viewers, 292,000 with the 25-54 demo and 181,000 with the 18-49 demo.

Since the start of the breaking news cycle on Wednesday evening, FNC has continued to best all cable news networks. With a team of journalists fielding 24/7 coverage from the front lines in Ukraine, Russia and Poland, the five-day average shows FNC delivered 2.3 million in total day viewers as well as 513,000 in the demo. Similarly in primetime, FNC garnered 3.2 million viewers and 708,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC also saw a 76% increase with viewers and 25% increase in demo over CNN in total day and an 85% advantage with viewers and 19% advantage in demo in primetime. Compared to MSNBC, FNC secured a 137% advantage with viewers and 242% advantage in the 25-54 demo in total day and a 128% advantage with viewers and a 240% advantage in the 25-54 demo in primetime. Notably, a number of FNC programs including America Reports and The Faulkner Focus posted their highest-rated weeks with viewers and A25-54 since launch.

Notably, during the month of February, CNN shed more than half of its primetime demo and plummeted across all categories. Despite numerous breaking news events, CNN was beat out by Hallmark, TLC, and HGTV in total day viewers and ranked outside the top 10 in the primetime total viewers. At 9 PM/ET, CNN shuffled its programming to replace Cuomo Prime Time, including airings of CNN Tonight and Anderson Cooper 360, which were down significantly versus the prior year. Meanwhile, host Rachel Maddow’s hiatus from MSNBC at 9 PM/ET saw the program shed 50% of its viewership and lose 62% with A25-54.  

At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s signature roundtable program The Five continued to make history, finishing the month of February again as the highest-rated program in total viewers for the third consecutive month and past four out of five months. Notably, The Five delivered 3,692,000 total viewers, 548,000 in the 25-54 demo and 349,000 in the 18-49 demo, outpacing every program on CNN and MSNBC in all categories. Additionally, The Five surpassed ABC’s signature series The Bachelor in total viewers. At 8 PM/ET, FNC’s Tucker Carlson Tonight completed the month as the top-rated program in both younger demos, averaging 615,000 viewers with the 25-54 demo as well as 380,000 in the 18-49 category. Tucker Carlson Tonight drew 3,621,000 in total viewers, crushing his primetime competitors across the board. Hannity at 9 PM/ET followed suit, averaging 3,059,000 viewers, 504,000 in the 25-54 demo and 313,000 among adults 18-49. The Ingraham Angle garnered 2,427,000 viewers, 419,000 in the 25-54 demo and 252,000 in 18-49 demo for the month of February. Additionally at 6 PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier delivered 2,672,000 viewers, 449,000 with the 25-54 demo and 263,000 with the 18-49 demo. According to the most recent Nielsen MRI/Fusion data, Tucker Carlson Tonight ranked as the number one program among Democrats in the 25-54 demo while Carlson, The Five and Hannity placed among the top four cable news programs with Democrats in total viewers. 

At 7 PM/ET, FNC’s newly-launched Jesse Watters Primetime posted strong ratings out of the gate, ranking in the top three spots in both categories. In its first full month since launching in January, host Jesse Watters drew 3.1 million viewers and 505,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

Greg Gutfeld’s late-night program Gutfeld! finished February as the number-one-rated show in cable television in total viewers at 11 PM/ET, and in the top 10 overall with 1,952,000 viewers, 331,000 with 25-54 demo and 200,000 in 18-49 demo. Gutfeld! outpaced ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!  and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in total viewers. 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, across the board. Since launch, Gutfeld has continued to increase viewership among all categories and posted his second highest rated month with total viewers since program launch. Gutfeld posted double-digit gains in total viewers (+59%) and in the 25-54 demo (+46%) versus February 2021. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream had an average audience of 1.3 million viewers and 303,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

From 4-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST garnered 553,000 viewers and 108,000 in the 25-54 demo. FNC’s FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) marked its 11th straight month as the top-rated cable news morning show across the board, with 1,443,000 viewers and 252,000 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 430,000 viewers and 84,000 in the coveted 25-54 demo. In fact, FNC’s FOX & Friends tripled New Day in total viewers and in the 25-54 younger demo. 

FNC’s daytime lineup which kicks off with a two-hour morning news program, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), notched 1,869,000 viewers and 306,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, scored 1,831,000 viewers and 293,000 in the 25-54 demo, besting CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1,942,000 viewers and 323,000 in the demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1,719,000 viewers and 307,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1,695,000 viewers and 305,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1,770,000 viewers and 309,000 in the 25-54. FNC’s daytime lineup topped several offerings across broadcast including America’s Newsroom and Outnumbered beating ABC’s GMA3 (1 PM/ET) with The Faulkner Focus and The Story outpacing CBS’s The Talk (2 PM/ET) in total viewers. 

Once again, FNC continued its dominance throughout the weekend, beating CNN and MSNBC combined with both categories during total day and primetime and winning every weekend hour. FNC’s newly revamped Saturday primetime lineup, swept their respective timeslots, outpacing all cable news competition in both total viewers and in the demo for the month. The newly launched One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Saturdays, 8 PM/ET) finished February with 1.7 million and 297,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Unfiltered with Dan Bongino nabbed 1.9 million viewers and 309,000 with A25-54 in its new 9 PM/ET timeslot. At 10 PM/ET, Lawrence Jones Cross Country also topped the competition, delivering 1.5 million viewers and 247,000 in the 25-54 demo, besting its competition. During the day, FNC’s Cavuto Live (Saturdays,10 AM/ET) notched 1.9 million total viewers and 299,000 in the demo. 

On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10 AM/ET) continued as the top-rated program in both categories for its timeslot, with 2.2 million viewers and 341,000 in the demo. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, delivered 1.8 million viewers and 294,000, outpacing CNN’s Reliable Sources (1 million and 219,000 with A25-54) across the board. FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 7 PM/ET), was the highest-rated program on Sundays for the month in both categories, trouncing every CNN and MSNBC program in total viewers, and drawing an audience of 2.4 million viewers and 426,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 8 PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin averaged 2 million viewers and 207,000 in the demo, while The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton (Sundays, 9 PM/ET) secured 1.9 million viewers and 371,000 in the demo. FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) earned 1.5 million viewers and 266,000 in the demo. Additionally, FOX Report with Jon Scott (1.6 million viewers; 307,000 A25-54) surpassed the cable news competition in its timeslot.

FEBRUARY 2022 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (3,692,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,621,000) Jesse Watters Primetime (3,100,000), Hannity (3,059,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,672,000)

Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (615,000), The Five (548,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (505,000), Hannity (504,000) Special Report with Bret Baier (449,000) 

FEBRUARY 2022 VS. FEBRUARY 2021 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):

TOTAL DAY

FNC: 1,670,000 total viewers – up 26% (292,000 in 25-54 – up 39%)

CNN: 621,000 total viewers – down 48% (152,000 in 25-54 – down 46%)

MSNBC: 719,000 total viewers – down 47% (85,000 in 25-54 – down 59%) 

PRIMETIME

FNC: 2,634,000 total viewers – up 6% (443,000 in 25-54 – up 21%)

CNN: 774,000 total viewers – down 54% (212,000 in 25-54 – down 49%)

MSNBC: 1,194,000 total viewers – down 46% (140,000 in 25-54 – down 59%)

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 20 consecutive years, currently attracting more than 50% of the cable news viewing audience according to Nielsen Media Research. Notably, a 2021 Nielsen/MRI Fusion report showed 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. 

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FOX News Media Press Contact:

Tessica Glancey: 212.301.3285 / tessica.glancey@fox.com