Fox News

“The Five” Continues Reign as the Only Non-Primetime Program in History to Finish Three Consecutive Quarters at Number One; “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Remains Most-Watched in A25-54 Demo

FNC Notches 96 of the Top 100 Telecasts in Cable News for the Quarter

FNC is Lone Cable News Network to Post Year-Over-Year Gains, CNN and MSNBC Suffer Double-Digit Declines Across All Categories as MSNBC Marks Lowest Quarter Since 2003 in Total Day Demo

“Gutfeld!” Scores Highest-Rated Quarter Since Launch

NEW YORK – June 28, 2022 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished the second quarter of 2022 as cable’s most-watched network in primetime and total day viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. Marking 82 consecutive quarters as the highest-rated cable news channel in primetime, FNC also outpaced CNN and MSNBC combined in total day and primetime with total viewers, and easily surpassed both networks in the 25-54 and 18-49 demos for the month of June. FNC also ranked number one in all of basic cable in total day viewers for the fifth quarter in a row, winning every single weekday hour with double and triple-digit percent advantages while delivering 96 of the top 100 telecasts in cable news. Notably, FNC was the only cable news network to post gains versus 2021 in total viewers and A25-54 as CNN and MSNBC were down double digits across the board. In total day, FNC delivered 1.5 million viewers, 229,000 with the A25-54 demographic and 140,000 with A18-49. In primetime, FNC netted 2.3 million viewers, 345,000 in the 25-54 demo, and 211,000 with A18-49. Additionally, FNC’s cable news audience share increased to over 50% across all key dayparts and categories as more Democrats and Independents tuned in to FNC over any other network, according to data from Nielsen MRI Fusion.

During the second quarter of 2022, FNC delivered the top 8 programs in cable news in total viewers and the top 15 programs in the younger 25-54 demo while CNN and MSNBC delivered double-digit declines versus 2021 in both total day and primetime with declines in every program with MSNBC notched its lowest-rated quarter since 2003 in total day demo. Additionally, FNC continued to serve 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 for stories including the war in Ukraine, the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, among others.

At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s powerhouse The Five continued to shatter records by becoming the first non-primetime program to top all of cable news for three consecutive quarters in cable news history, averaging 3.3 million viewers and 461,000 in A25-54, outpacing every show on CNN and MSNBC across the board. Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET)  averaged 2.5 million viewers and 355,000 in A25-54, dominating its timeslot. At 7 PM/ET, FNC’s newly launched Jesse Watters Primetime finished the quarter as the fourth highest-rated cable news program, averaging 2.7 million viewers and 374,000 in A25-54, solidifying its second quarter as the fastest-growing program in cable news. At 12 AM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Shannon Bream surpassed the competition, delivering 1.1 million viewers and 218,000 in A25-54.

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 3.2 million viewers and 522,000 in the demo, as well as 319,000 in the 18-49 category for the quarter. Hannity at 9 PM/ET averaged 2.7 million viewers, 421,000 in A25-54 and 252,000 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 2.2 million viewers, 361,000 in the 25-54 demo and 217,000 in 18-49.

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 news. 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 percent growth since the same quarter last year in total viewers and A25-54 and averaged nearly 2 million viewers and 344,000 with A25-54 this quarter, outpacing ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in total viewers.  FNC’s late night show also bested 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. Notably, 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 554,000 viewers. FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished the quarter with 1.4 million viewers and 240,000 in the demo, easily outpacing CNN’s New Day and MSNBC’s Morning Joe combined across both categories and routinely topping all daytime and primetime programming on CNN and MSNBC. FNC’s FOX & Friends made its mark as the number one cable news program in the mornings with both categories for the 15^th consecutive month as CNN’s New Day delivered its lowest-rated month in total viewership since July 2015.

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 1.7 million viewers and 257,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.7 million viewers and 244,000 in the 25-54 demo and bested CNN and MSNBC across the board. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 1.8 million viewers and 269,000 in the demo. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.5 million viewers and 237,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 3 PM/ET, anchor Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.5 million viewers and 228,000 in the 25-54 demo, while Your World with Neil Cavuto at 4 PM/ET nabbed 1.5 million viewers and 235,000 in the 25-54 category for the quarter. Notably,  FNC’s Outnumbered, The Faulkner Focus and America’s Newsroom surpassed ABC’s GMA3, CBS’s The Talk and NBC’s 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 MSNBC combined across both dayparts and in total viewers. Unfiltered with Dan Bongino (Saturdays, 9 PM/ET) was the most-watched program in total viewers for the quarter on Saturday, earning 1.4 million viewers and 185,000 with A25-54. In the 25-54 demo, the Saturday edition of FNC’s signature franchise FOX & Friends earned the top spot with 218,000 demo viewers for FOX & Friends Weekend. FNC’s 8 PM/ET addition to the Saturday primetime lineup, One Nation helmed by Brian Kilmeade, nabbed 1.3 million and 160,000 in the 25-54 demo. Lawrence Jones, who made history earlier this year becoming the youngest Black solo host of a program in cable news with the addition of Lawrence Jones Cross Country (Saturdays, 10 PM/ET), continued to post strong numbers with 1.2 million viewers and 163,000 in the demo, rounding out the top five programs in the 25-54 demo for the second quarter. In the mornings, FNC’s Cavuto Live anchored by Neil Cavuto continued to draw a strong audience with 1.3 million viewers from 10 AM – 12 PM/ET and 197,000 in the 25-54 demo, landing in the top three for both categories.

On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo earned the top-rated spot in both viewers and the coveted 25-54 category during the second quarter, with over 1.7 million viewers and 245,000 in the demo. MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz, delivered 1.4 million viewers and 198,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing CNN’s Reliable Sources across the board for the quarter and held a 101% advantage in viewers and a 78% advantage in the demo over the CNN program, which averaged only 678,000 viewers and 111,000 with A25-54, with June being its lowest-rated month in the 25-54 demo since 2001 with 79,000 viewers. CNN’s Reliable Sources notched its lowest-rated quarter with total viewers since 2019 and its lowest demo month since June 2001. Meanwhile, FNC’s Life, Liberty & Levin outpaced every CNN program in total viewers, drawing an audience of 1.7 million viewers and 179,000 in the 25-54 demo, securing the next most-watched program in total viewers for the quarter, Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy earned 1.5 million viewers and 157,000 in the demo, while The Next Revolution with host Steve Hilton secured 1.3 million viewers and 160,000 in the demo. Notably, FOX & Friends Weekend on Sundays outdrew CNN and MSNBC every hour in total viewers and the 25-54 demo during the quarter, with 1.3 million viewers and 200,000 in the demo. MSNBC’s newly-launched weekend show Symone has been outpaced by FNC in the 4 PM/ET hour by triple-digits among total viewers and the 25-54 demo, notching 387,000 total viewers and 35,000 in the 25-54 demo since launch.

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

Total Viewers: The Five (3,299,000) Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,233,000), Hannity (2,726,000) Jesse Watters Primetime (2,688,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (2,463,000)

Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (522,000), The Five (461,000), Hannity (421,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (374,000), The Ingraham Angle (361,000)

2Q’22 VS. 2Q’21 NIELSEN NUMBERS (seven day week, L+SD):

TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,450,000 total viewers – up 21% (229,000 in 25-54 – up 11%)
CNN: 521,000 total viewers – down 21% (113,000 in 25-54 – down 31%)
MSNBC: 684,000 total viewers – down 20% (77,000 in 25-54 – down 34%)

PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,267,000 total viewers – up 4% (345,000 in 25-54 – down 2%)
CNN: 670,000 total viewers – down 27% (155,000 in 25-54 – down 31%)
MSNBC: 1,130,000 total viewers – down 23% (121,000 in 25-54 – down 40%)

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

Total Viewers: The Five (3,142,000), Tucker Carlson Tonight (3,068,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (2,571,000) Hannity (2,555,000),  Special Report with Bret Baier (2,312,000)

Adults 25-54: Tucker Carlson Tonight (482,000), The Five (433,000), Hannity (381,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (351,000), The Ingraham Angle (335,000)

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

TOTAL DAY
FNC: 1,378,000 total viewers – up 17% (211,000 in 25-54 – up 7%)
CNN: 486,000 total viewers – down 17% (103,000 in 25-54 – down 23%)
MSNBC: 765,000 total viewers – flat (86,000 in 25-54 – down 15%)

PRIMETIME
FNC: 2,169,000 total viewers – up 2% (319,000 in 25-54 – down 4%)
CNN: 654,000 total viewers – down 19% (147,000 in 25-54 – down 19%)
MSNBC: 1,282,000 total viewers – down 3% (136,000 in 25-54 – down 20%)

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.

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FOX News Channel Media Contact:

Alexandra Coscia/212.301.3272