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“Kudlow” and “Varney & Co.” Reign Supreme as Top Two Business Programs for Sixth Straight Quarter

FBN’s Primetime Hours Post Triple Digit Growth Year-Over-Year and Nab Highest-Rated Quarter with Primetime Since 2020

NEW YORK – September 26, 2023 – FOX Business Network (FBN) closed out the third quarter of 2023 as the number one network in business day viewers, easily outpacing CNBC, according to Nielsen Media Research. The network continued to place the top two business news programs, while also delivering the highest-rated quarter with primetime (8-11 PM/ET) since 2020 as well as the highest-rated quarter of 2023 with total day viewers across the board (6 AM-6 AM/ET). 

FBN was the go-to network for breaking business news, surpassing CNBC with a 4% advantage in business day viewers (FBN 194,000 P2+ vs. CNBC 186,000 P2+) for the quarter. FBN’s market-open and close programming once again led the industry in viewers with Kudlow (weekdays, 4 PM/ET) and Varney & Co. (weekdays, 9 AM-12 PM/ET) leading the business news rankers. Stuart Varney’s Varney & Co. notched 246,000 total viewers, securing a 25% advantage over CNBC’s Squawk on the Street and leading its competition for the sixth consecutive quarter, while Kudlow was the most-watched show in business news with 274,000 viewers (a 69% advantage over CNBC’s Closing Bell’s 162,000 total viewers). This quarter marks Larry Kudlow’s eighth quarterly win over the competition. Notably, the two programs have ranked the top two business programs for six straight quarters.

During the pre-market hours, Maria Bartiromo’s Mornings with Maria (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) drew in 106,000 total viewers and placed amongst the top 20 business news programs for the quarter. The program outranked CNBC’s Squawk Box for the second consecutive quarter. CAVUTO: Coast to Coast (weekdays, 12 PM/ET) anchored by Neil Cavuto, placed among the top 10 business programs, with 152,000 total viewers. FBN’s The Big Money Show (weekdays, 1 PM/ET) drew in 132,000 viewers and grew 2% quarter-over-quarter. Making Money with Charles Payne (weekdays, 2 PM/ET) and The Claman Countdown (weekdays, 3 PM/ET) anchored by Liz Claman each increased 6% quarter over quarter with viewers and posted double-digit growth with the advertiser coveted 25-54 demo.  

During post-market coverage, Elizabeth MacDonald’s The Evening Edit with Elizabeth MacDonald (weekdays, 5 PM/ET) bested its competition for the fifth consecutive quarter and brought in 153,000 viewers, a 4% advantage over CNBC. The Bottom Line (weekdays, 6 PM/ET) earned 130,000 total viewers and marked its third consecutive quarter beating CNBC. Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street (Fridays, 7-7:30 PM/ET) saw a 6% advantage over CNBC’s Last Call (FBN: 83,000 viewers vs CNBC: 78,000 viewers) and Barron’s Roundtable (Fridays, 7:30-8 PM/ET) secured 57,000 viewers. Notably, FBN’s 7 PM/ET rerun of Kudlow (Monday-Thursday) also outpaced CNBC’s Last Call by 6% for the quarter.

In primetime, FBN posted triple digit growth year-over-year across the board (100% growth with total viewers; 244% growth with 25-54 demo; 152% growth with the 36-64 demo). The fourth season of FBN Prime, FOX Business Network’s weekday primetime programming slate, performed exceedingly well with reruns of the iconic series COPS (Thursday and Friday, 8-11 PM/ET) outranking CNBC’s Shark Tank/American Greed with double-digit advantages in both the 25-54 demo and 35-64 demo.

FBN ended the quarter delivering five of the top 10 cable news programs with affluent audiences among the 25-54 demo. Mornings with Maria placed first with viewers’ incomes totaling a median of $176,600. Varney & Co., The Claman Countdown, Making Money with Charles Payne and The Big Money Show rounded out the top 10 programs with median incomes greater than $134,100. Kudlow, The Evening Edit and CAVUTO: Coast to Coast placed amongst the top 20 programs tallying $127,100 or greater.

***Below is the data according to Nielsen Media Research

Business Day (9:30AM-5PM/ET): 194,000 total viewers and 14,000 A25-54

Market Hours (9AM-4PM/ET): 187,000 total viewers and 13,000 A25-54

Total Day (6AM-6AM/ET): 132,000 total viewers and 16,000 A25-54

**Program Specials Excluded​**

FOX Business Network (FBN) is a financial news channel delivering real-time information across all platforms that impact both Main Street and Wall Street. Headquartered in New York — the business capital of the world — FBN launched in October 2007 and is currently the top business channel on television. The network is available in nearly 80 million homes in all markets across the United States. Owned by Fox Corporation, FBN is a unit of FOX News Media and has bureaus in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C.

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FOX Business Media Contact

Sofie Watson: 212.301.3818 or Sofie.Watson@FOX.com