Fox News

‘Special Report’ Leads Broadcast Evening News Programs in Major Markets Across the United States; ‘CBS Evening News’ Posts its Worst Month Ever in April

All FNC Daytime Shows Surpass NBC’s ‘Today Third Hour’ and ABC’s ‘GMA3’

‘Gutfeld!’ Continues to Crush the Broadcast Late-Night Competition

FNC Closes in on Securing the Top 1,000 Cable News Telecasts Since Election Day

NEW YORK – April 29, 2025 – FOX News Channel (FNC) finished April beating broadcast networks ABC and NBC in weekday primetime as it marked the highest-rated first 100 days of an administration in cable news history, according to data from Nielsen Media Research. FNC ended the month with 3.1 million viewers in weekday primetime making it the second highest-rated network in all of television leading ABC (2.9 million viewers) and NBC (2.8 million viewers). Year-to-date, FNC is also number two in weekday primetime with 3.5 million viewers leading NBC (3.1 million viewers) and ABC (3 million viewers). Once again, more Democrats, Independents and Republicans tuned in to FNC over any other cable network across total day, according to data from Nielsen MRI Fusion. FNC was also number one in cable with Asians, Hispanics and upscale viewers throughout total day during April.

FNC averaged 1.9 million viewers across total day during the first 100 days of the Trump administration (up 47% vs. 2021; up 12% vs. 2017) and 3 million viewers in primetime (up 25% vs. 2021; up 8% vs. 2017). Comparatively CNN and MSNBC have both seen double-digit collapses of their audiences across total day and primetime compared to the first 100 days of the Biden administration in 2021 and the first Trump administration in 2017. In fact, CNN is down nearly 60% with viewers across total day and primetime compared to the first 100 days of the Biden administration.

Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged over 3 million viewers and 319,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing to close the gap with the broadcast competition. In fact, year-to-date, Special Report leads CBS Evening News in 20 top markets across the country including New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Chicago, leads ABC’s World News Tonight in nine markets including New Orleans, Tampa Bay and St. Louis and leads NBC’s Nightly News in Atlanta, Boston and New York. Additionally, April was CBS Evening News worst month ever with both viewers and A25-54.

 

FNC’s hit late-night program Gutfeld! continued to dominate all of late-night television across the board. Notching 3.1 million viewers, 375,000 in 25-54, Gutfeld! walloped CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2.5 million viewers), ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.5 million viewers), NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.1 million viewers), Late Night with Seth Meyers (753,000 viewers), and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show (497,000 viewers) across the board.

For the month of April in primetime (8-11 PM/ET), FNC delivered 2.6 million viewers and 296,000 in the 25-54 demographic, growing its audience 31% year-over-year in total viewership and 35% in the 25-54 demo. In total day, FNC drew 1.6 million viewers and 202,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking 28% growth year-over-year with viewers and 29% in the 25-54 demo. FNC commanded 60% of the cable news share with viewers across total day and primetime, completely dismantling CNN and MSNBC which are both down throughout total day and primetime viewers and demo compared to 2024. FNC has now delivered the top 980 cable news telecasts since Election Day (11-6-24 through 4-27-25) and top 123 cable news telecasts in the month of April. Additionally, all FNC weekday programs finished April with double digit year-over-year gains. CNN marked its second lowest-rated month ever with total day A25-54, dipping below 70,000 viewers for the second time ever and posted its third lowest-rated month with primetime A25-54 cratering below 100,000 viewers.

At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s The Five secured a staggering 4.1 million viewers and 447,000 in 25-54 demo, leading all of cable news across the board. Additionally, this marked the sixth consecutive month The Five has averaged over 4 million viewers. The Five also surpassed broadcast programs including CBS’ The Neighborhood (4 million viewers), NCIS Sydney (3.9 million viewers), NBC’s Law and Order (3.8 million viewers) and CBS Evening News (3.8 million viewers).

 

The Ingraham Angle (weeknights, 7 PM/ET) posted 2.9 million viewers and 333,000 in the 25-54 demo, with Laura Ingraham continuing her reign as the highest rated woman in cable news. At 8 PM/ET Jesse Watters Primetime led all of primetime commanding 3.6 million viewers and 421,000 in the 25-54 demo. Winning the 9 PM/ET hour across the board, FNC’s Hannity remained dominant with 2.9 million viewers and 346,000 in the 25-54 demo, easily surpassing MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show which slumped to 2.1 million viewers and 177,000 in the 25-54 demo. 

  

From 5-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST netted 632,000 viewers and 107,000 in the 25-54 demo, while FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished the month with 1.4 million viewers and 192,000 in the demo. The program has remained the number one cable news program in the mornings with both categories for 50 consecutive months in 25-54 demo. 

 

FNC’s daytime lineup continued to crush the competition, led by two-hour morning news program America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), which saw 1.9 million viewers and 214,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 1.9 million viewers and 218,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 12 PM/ET, Outnumbered earned 2 million viewers and 241,000 in the demo. America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith garnered 1.9 million viewers and 236,000 in the 25-54 demo. Martha MacCallum’s The Story averaged 1.9 million viewers and 239,000 in the 25-54 demo. The newly launched The Will Cain Show continued to grow the timeslot at 4 PM/ET seeing 2.3 million viewers and 279,000 in the 25-54 demo. Every single FNC daytime show between 9 AM – 5 PM/ET led NBC’s Today Third Hour (1,735,000 viewers) and ABC’s GMA3 (1,240,000 viewers).

FNC also continued to excel against the competition throughout the weekend for the month, winning every hour with total viewers and 25-54 demo, defeating CNN and MSNBC by double to triple-digits among both categories on both days. On Saturdays, Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) was the most watched show, drawing 1.5 million viewers. FOX & Friends Weekend (weekends, 6-10 AM/ET) was most-watched in the 25-54 demo with 167,000 viewers. My View with Lara Trump (weekends, 9 PM/ET) secured 1.4 million viewers and 119,000 in the 25-54 demo, while The Big Weekend Show (weekends, 6-8 PM/ET) drew 1.3 million viewers and 123,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla (Saturday, 10 PM/ET) attracted 1.3 million viewers and 150,000 in the 25-54 demo.

On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures earned the top-rated show of the weekend, garnering 1.8 million viewers and 215,000 with 25-54 demo. Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy was the top show in primetime with 1.7 million viewers and 162,000 A25-54. At 11 AM/ET, MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz, delivered 1.3 million viewers and 145,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Big Weekend Show nabbed with 1.4 million viewers and 141,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX & Friends Sunday took 1.3 million viewers and 158,000 in the 25-54 demo. One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Sunday, 10 PM/ET) nabbed 1.5 million viewers and 171,000 in the 25-54 demo.

 

APRIL 2025 VIEWERSHIP & 25-54 DEMO (Monday-Sunday, Live + Same Day):

TOTAL DAY

FNC: 1,620,000 total viewers and 202,000 A25-54 (up 28% with viewers; up 29% with A25-54 vs. 2024)

CNN: 411,000 total viewers and 68,000 A25-54 (down 18% with viewers; down 22% with A25-54 vs. 2024)

MSNBC: 656,000 total viewers and 62,000 A25-54 (down 24% with viewers; down 30% with A25-54 vs. 2024)

 

PRIMETIME (8-11P)

FNC: 2,590,000 total viewers and 296,000 A25-54 (up 31% with viewers; up 35% with A25-54 vs. 2024)

CNN: 519,000 total viewers and 99,000 A25-54 (down 17% with viewers; down 12% with A25-54 vs. 2024)

MSNBC: 1,206,000 total viewers and 105,000 A25-54 (down 4% with P2+; down 8% with A25-54 vs. 2024)

 

APRIL RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (4,077,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (3,577,000), Gutfeld! (3,053,000), Special Report (2,962,000), Hannity (2,910,000) 

 

Adults 25-54: The Five (447,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (421,000), Gutfeld! (375,000), Hannity (346,000), The Ingraham Angle (333,000)

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. Month of April 2025 ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks Monday-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a, 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats and include the corresponding program name.

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 nine years and the most-watched television news channel for 23 consecutive years, currently attracting nearly 70% 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. A 2024 Pew Research Center study found that more Americans named FNC as their main source for political news than any other network while a 2023 New York Times/Siena College poll found FNC as the leading single source of news for voters across the country. Owned by Fox Corporation, FNC is available in more than 60 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top 10 programs in the genre.

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FOX News Media Contact:

Connor Smith: 212-301-3879 or Connor.Smith@FOX.com