Fox News

FNC’s “The Five” Makes History as the First Non-Primetime Program to Finish Two Consecutive Quarters as Highest-Rated Show; “Tucker Carlson Tonight” is Most-Watched in A25-54 Demo

FNC is Only Cable News Network to Post Year-Over-Year Gains, Delivers 97 of the Top 100 Telecasts in Cable News for the Quarter

“Gutfeld!” Delivers Highest-Rated Quarter as Program Approaches One Year Anniversary, Notching Wins over CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

FNC’s “Jesse Watters Primetime” Kicks off 2022 as Cable News’ Fastest-Growing Program

NEW YORK – March 29, 2022 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the first quarter of 2022 as cable’s most-watched network in primetime and total day viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. Marking 81 consecutive quarters as the highest-rated cable news channel, FNC continued to surpass CNN and MSNBC across the board, outpacing them combined in total day viewers, the 25-54 demo and A18-49 as well as the month of March with viewers and demo. FNC also ranked number one in all of basic cable in total day viewers for the fourth quarter in a row and won every single weekday hour with double and triple digit percent advantages, delivering 97 of the top 100 programs in cable news. Notably, FNC was the only cable news network to post gains versus 2021 in total viewers and A25-54, while CNN and MSNBC were down double digits across the board. In total day, FNC delivered 1.6 million viewers, 283,000 with the A25-54 demographic and 174,000 with A18-49. In primetime, FNC netted 2.6 million viewers, 429,000 in the 25-54 demo, and 267,000 with A18-49. Additionally, FNC’s cable news audience share increased to over 50% across all key dayparts and categories.

During the first quarter of 2022, all FNC weekday programs posted increases with total viewers and the 25-54 demo while all CNN and MSNBC programs experienced declines. The network delivered the top 10 programs in cable news in total viewers and the top 14 programs in the younger 25-54 demo. FNC’s The Five continued to shatter cable news records by becoming the first non-primetime program to top all of cable for two consecutive quarters in cable news history. Additionally, daytime and late night programs, including FNC’s The Faulkner Focus, America Reports and Gutfeld!, marked their highest-rated quarters in network history, while newly-launched Jesse Watters Primetime became the fastest-growing program in cable news. Additionally, since the start of the Ukraine-Russia crisis and Russia’s invasion, FNC has continued as the go-to destination for breaking news coverage, earning double digit advantages over CNN and widening to triple digits over MSNBC across the board.

At 8 PM/ET, Tucker Carlson Tonight continued its reign as the highest-rated program in cable news in the younger 25-54 demo, averaging 3.6 million viewers and 626,000 in the demo, as well as 387,000 in the 18-49 category for the quarter. Hannity at 9 PM/ET averaged 3.1 million viewers, 513,000 in A25-54  and 319,000 among adults 18-49, topping MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show and CNN combined in both categories. The Ingraham Angle host Laura Ingraham remained the most-watched female in cable news at 10 PM/ET, garnering 2.4 million viewers, 433,000 in the 25-54 demo and 259,000 in 18-49.

At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s late afternoon offering The Five averaged 3.7 million viewers and 554,000 in A25-54, outpacing every show on CNN and MSNBC across the board. Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET)  averaged 2.7 million viewers and 444,000 in A25-54, dominating its timeslot. At 7 PM/ET, FNC’s newly-launched Jesse Watters Primetime finished the quarter as the third highest-rated cable news program, averaging 3.1 million viewers and 522,000 in A25-54, solidifying its debut quarter as the fastest-growing program in cable news. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream surpassed the competition, delivering 1,195,000 viewers and 283,000 in A25-54.

Ahead of marking its one year anniversary on April 5^th, FNC’s Gutfeld! delivered its highest-rated quarter in program history as host Greg Gutfeld continued as the second most-watched late night host in all of broadcast and cable. At 11 PM/ET, Gutfeld! also topped every program on CNN and MSNBC in total viewers and the younger 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! posted double-digit growth since last quarter in total viewers and A25-54 and averaged nearly 2 million viewers and 346,000 with A25-54 this quarter, outpacing ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in total viewers. Additionally, the program outpaced CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on several occasions in viewers. FNC’s late night show also topped Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and TBS’ Full Frontal with Samantha Bee across the board in total viewers and the younger 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! has the highest median income in all of late night television (ABC, CBS and NBC) in the younger 25-54 demo as well as the most upscale audience in total viewers and A25-54.

From 4-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST garnered 585,000 viewers. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished the quarter with 1.4 million viewers and 267,000 in the demo, easily outpacing CNN’s New Day and MSNBC’s Morning Joe combined across both categories. FNC’s FOX & Friends made its mark as the number one cable news program in the mornings with both categories for the 12^th consecutive month.

FNC’s daytime lineup, kicking off with two-hour morning news program, America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), saw 1.9 million viewers and 318,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.9 million viewers and 315,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned nearly 2 million viewers and 335,000 in the demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.8 million viewers and 309,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.8 million viewers and 311,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1.8 million viewers and 314,000 in the 25-54 category for the quarter. Notably, since the breaking news in Ukraine began, FNC’s Outnumbered  has surpassed ABC’s The View in both categories, while America Reports, The Story, The Faulkner Focus and America’s Newsroom topped The View in the 25-54 demo. In the morning’s, FOX & Friends outdrew TODAY with Hoda & Jenna in total viewers.

Once again, FNC continued to excel against the competition throughout the weekend for the quarter, outpacing CNN and MSBC combined across both dayparts and in viewers and the demo on Saturdays. CAVUTO Live  (Saturdays, 10 AM-12 PM/ET) was the most-watched program in both categories for the quarter on Saturday, earning 1.7 million viewers and 300,000 with A25-54. FNC’s newly-revamped powerhouse lineup also helped the network sweep the top spots across the board during the first quarter. FNC’s 8 PM/ET addition to the Saturday primetime lineup, One Nation helmed by Brian Kilmeade, debuted with nearly 1.7 million and 291,000 in the 25-54 demo, earning the second highest-rated program in the demo. At 9 PM/ET, Unfiltered with Dan Bongino delivered 1.7 million viewers and 289,000 with A25-54, scoring the second most-watched program in overall viewers. FNC’s Lawrence Jones made history, becoming the youngest Black solo host of a program in cable news with the addition of Lawrence Jones Cross Country (Saturdays, 10 PM/ET) to the lineup. The program earned 1.6 million viewers and 269,000 in the demo and rounded out the top four programs in both categories for the first quarter.

On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo (Sundays, 10 AM/ET) earned the top-rated spot in both viewers and the coveted 25-54 category during the first quarter, with over 2 million viewers and 321,000 in the demo. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz at 11 AM/ET, delivered 1.7 million viewers and 270,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing CNN’s Reliable Sources across the board for the quarter and held a 78% advantage in viewers and a 44% advantage in the demo over the CNN program, which averaged only 948,000 viewers and 187,000 with A25-54, down 32 percent and 37 percent respectively versus the prior year.  Meanwhile, FNC’s Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sundays, 7 PM/ET), outpaced every CNN program in total viewers, drawing an audience of 1.8 million viewers and 271,000 in the 25-54 demo, securing the next most-watched program in the demo for the quarter. At 8 PM/ET, Life Liberty and Levin earned 1.9 million viewers and 231,000 in the demo, while The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton (Sundays, 9 PM/ET) secured 1.6 million viewers and 251,000 in the demo. Notably, FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends from 6-10 AM/ET) outdrew CNN and MSNBC every hour in total viewers and the 25-54 demo during the quarter, with 1.4 million viewers and 249,000 in the demo.

FIRST QUARTER 2022 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (3,676,000) Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,617,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (3,124,000) Hannity (3,057,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,720,000)

Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (626,000), The Five (554,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (522,000), Hannity (513,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (444,000)

1Q’22 VS. 1Q’21 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):

TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,613,000 total viewers – up 22% (283,000 in 25-54 – up 28%)
CNN: 653,000 total viewers – down 51% (156,000 in 25-54 – down 55%)
MSNBC: 712,000 total viewers – down 48% (87,000 in 25-54 – down 60%)

PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,554,000 total viewers – up 3% (429,000 in 25-54 – up 9%)
CNN: 857,000 total viewers – down 56% (232,000 in 25-54 – down 56%)
MSNBC: 1,205,000 total viewers – down 46% (149,000 in 25-54 – down 59%)

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

Total Viewers: Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,817,000), The Five (3,761,000), Hannity (3,239,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (3,113,000) Special Report with Bret Baier (2,871,000)

Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (704,000), The Five (609,000), Hannity (597,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (549,000), The Ingraham Angle (503,000)

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

TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,815,000 total viewers – up 43% (346,000 in 25-54 – up 68%)
CNN: 886,000 total viewers – up 9% (230,000 in 25-54 – up 20%)
MSNBC: 780,000 total viewers – down 24% (103,000 in 25-54 – down 20%)

PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,863,000 total viewers – up 19% (529,000 in 25-54 – up 41%)
CNN:1,219,000 total viewers – up 1% (366,000 in 25-54 – up 25%)
MSNBC: 1,283,000 total viewers – down 29% (183,000 in 25-54 – down 23%)

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 Contact:

Jessica Ketner

212.301.3976  or jessica.ketner@fox.com