Fox News

FNC Beats ABC and NBC in Weekday Primetime for March and 1Q’25

‘Special Report’ Outpaces ‘CBS Evening News’ Multiple Times as it Secures Major Interviews with World Leaders, Closes Gap with Broadcast Competition

FOX News Channel Leads All of Television During Every Major Political Event as CNN and MSNBC Decline Across the Board; CNN Has Lowest-Rated Demo in History

‘The Five’ Continues to Break Television Records, Leading Cable News with its Highest-Rated Quarter Since Launch

NEW YORK – April 1, 2025 – FOX News Channel (FNC) delivered its highest-rated quarter in cable news history with weekday total day viewers, securing 2.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. From 8-11 PM/ET (M-F) FNC (3.6 million viewers) beat the broadcast competition on NBC and ABC (3.1 million viewers) for the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, the network secured its highest quarter cable news share ever, dominating with 65% of the audience in total day and 66% in primetime. More Independents and Democrats continued to tune in to FNC over any other cable network, according to data from Nielsen MRI Fusion as the network remained number one among Hispanic and Asian viewers. Year-over-year, FNC was the fastest growing network in television in primetime, defeating the broadcast competition with total viewers.

Several of FNC’s programs continued to overtake broadcast programs throughout the first quarter. At 5 PM/ET, FNC’s The Five made cable news history as the first non-primetime program to be the most watched in viewers for 14 consecutive quarters. Delivering 4.6 million viewers and 500,000 in 25-54 demo, the program notched the largest audience in the genre. In fact, this was The Five’s highest-rated quarter ever and it surpassed broadcast programs including American Idol, Survivor and The Neighborhood. FNC’s premier newscast Special Report with Bret Baier at 6 PM/ET garnered the largest audience in its timeslot with 3.5 million viewers and 404,000 in 25-54 demo. Featuring exclusive interviews with Elon Musk and his DOGE team on March 27 (3.8 million viewers) and Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelenskyy on February 28th (5.2 million viewers), Special Report dominated the first quarter with key bookings. The show beat CBS Evening News five times during the first quarter, seeing growth of 58% with viewers and 89% in the 25-54 demo year-over-year. Late-night’s highest-rated program, Gutfeld! continued to break records as it delivered its highest-rated quarter in program history with 3.3 million viewers and 453,000 in 25-54 during the 10 PM/ET hour. In addition to the cable news competition, Gutfeld! outpaced all broadcast and late-night television, including CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS’ After Midnight and Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

During the first quarter, FNC was the go-to channel for all political events, establishing itself as the go-to destination for news in all of television. On Inauguration Day, FNC led all of television with 11.4 million viewers, surpassing ABC (4.9 million viewers), NBC (4.8 million viewers) and CBS (4.6 million viewers). FNC’s Inauguration coverage was the top non-sports telecast of the entire first quarter. FNC also led television during President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on March 4 securing 10.7 million viewers and dominating the competition on ABC (6.3 million viewers), CBS (4 million viewers) and NBC (3.9 million viewers).

For Monday – Sunday total day, FNC averaged 1,919,000 viewers (+48%) and 247,000 (+58%) in the 25-54 demo, posting double-digit increases year-over-year. During primetime from 8 – 11 PM/ET, FNC delivered 3,012,000 viewers (+46%) and 380,000 in 25-54 demo (63%). In contrast, CNN and MSNBC saw declines across the board in both total day and primetime. With total day 25-54 demo, CNN saw its worst quarter in history with just 79,000 younger viewers. FNC has now marked 93 consecutive quarters as the most-watched cable news network in primetime, a feat dating back to 2002.

From 9-11 AM/ET, America’s Newsroom with Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer dominated its timeslot with 2.3 million viewers and 260,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Faulkner Focus helmed by Harris Faulkner drew the largest audience in its hour at 11 AM/ET with 2.4 million viewers and 281,000 in 25-54. The Faulkner Focus also closed the gap with ABC’s The View during the first quarter, beating the broadcast program head-to-head during January for the first time while ensemble program Outnumbered also topped cable news at 12 PM/ET with 2.5 million viewers and 284,000 in 25-54. From 1-3 PM/ET, America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith was the most-watched program with 2.4 million viewers and 280,000 in 25-54. The Story with Martha MacCallum drew the largest cable news audience at 3 PM/ET, averaging 2.3 million viewers and 266,000 in 25-54. At 4 PM/ET, FNC’s newest program The Will Cain Show averaged 2.6 million viewers and 312,000 in the 25-54 demo, a 74% increase with viewers over the 2024 4 PM/ET average on the network. Each program daytime surpassed CBS Mornings (2,019,000 viewers), NBC’s Today Third Hour (1,952,000 viewers), ABC’s GMA3 (1,437,000 viewers) and NBC’s Today with Jenna & Friends (1,315,000 viewers). America’s Newsroom, The Faulkner Focus, Outnumbered and America Reports all had their highest-rated quarters with viewers since launch.

For the first quarter of 2025, FNC delivered 14 of the top 15 shows in cable news with viewers and 25-54 demo, posting increases versus the first quarter of 2024. At 7 PM/ET, The Ingraham Angle topped the competition with 3.4 million viewers and 414,000 in 25-54. Jesse Watters Primetime was cable news’ highest-rated program at 8 PM/ET across the board with 4.1 million viewers and 507,000 in 25-54. Hannity (weeknights, 9 PM/ET) dominated the competition with 3.5 million viewers and 465,000 in the 25-54 demo. Hannity scored the first joint interview with President Trump and Elon Musk on February 18^th, which commanded a whopping 5.4 million viewers. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night was the most-watched program in its timeslot with 1.9 million viewers and 296,000 in 25-54.

The FOX & Friends franchise remained cable news’ most-watched morning shows throughout the quarter. From 5-6 AM/ET, FOX & Friends FIRST outpaced the competition with 715,000 viewers and 123,000 in 25-54 while FOX & Friends (6-9 AM/ET) delivered 1.5 million viewers and 198,000 in 25-54. FOX & Friends Weekend averaged 1.5 million viewers and 183,000 in the key demo.

FNC also continued to excel against the competition throughout the weekend for the quarter, outpacing CNN and MSNBC across both total day and primetime with viewers and winning every hour with total viewers. Additionally, FNC defeated CNN and MSNBC combined with total viewers on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturdays, newly launched My View with Lara Trump was the most-watched show of the day at 9 PM/ET with 1,835,000 viewers. The Big Weekend Show, which expanded to two hours from 6-8 PM/ET, followed with 1,827,000 viewers. FOX News Live (Saturday, 10 AM – 2 PM/ET) was the top show in the demo with 211,000 with A25-54. At 8 PM/ET, Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) commanded 1,767,000 viewers and FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla (Saturday, 10 PM/ET) averaged 1,407,000 viewers.

On Sundays at 10 AM/ET, Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures was the top-rated show in viewers garnering 2.2 million viewers and 248,000 in the 25-54 demo. In primetime, Sunday Night in America (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) and Life, Liberty & Levin both averaged 1.7 million viewers. At 11 AM/ET, MediaBuzz, hosted by Howard Kurtz, delivered 1.6 million viewers. One Nation with Brian Kilmeade, which moved to Sunday at 10 PM/ET, commanded 1.7 million viewers and 207,000 in the 25-54 demo.

FNC was the highest-rated network in all of cable news in total day and primetime during the month of March, marking 49 months on top in cable news as well as in all of cable for total day. Additionally, FNC is the only cable news network to post month-to-month increases across the board in primetime. In total day, FNC averaged 1,867,000 viewers increasing year to year (+43%) and 239,000 (+51%) in 25-54. In primetime, FNC garnered 3.1 million viewers (+47%) and 394,000 in 25-54 (+60%). Additionally, FNC notched 95 of the top 100 cable telecasts for the month of March.

1Q’25 NIELSEN NUMBERS VS. 1Q’24 (Monday-Sunday, Live + Same Day): 

TOTAL DAY

FNC: 1,919,000 total viewers (247,000 in 25-54) up 48% with viewers and up 58% with A25-54

CNN: 428,000 total viewers (79,000 in 25-54) down 8% with viewers and down 7% with A25-54

MSNBC: 593,000 total viewers (57,000 in 25-54) down 27% with and down 30% with A25-54

PRIMETIME (8-11p)

FNC: 3,012,000 in total viewers (380,000 in A25-54) up 46% with viewers and up 63% with A25-54

CNN: 558,000 in total viewers (121,000 in A25-54) down 6% with viewers and down 1% with A25-54

MSNBC: 1,024,000 in total viewers (96,000 in A25-54) down 18% with viewers and down 21% with A25-54

MARCH 2025 vs MARCH 2024 NIELSEN NUMBERS (Monday-Sunday, Live + Same Day): 

TOTAL DAY

FNC: 1,867,000 total viewers (239,000 in 25-54) up 43% P2+ and up 51% A25-54

CNN: 432,000 total viewers (78,000 in 25-54) down 6% P2+ and down 7% A25-54

MSNBC: 629,000 total viewers (60,000 in 25-54) down 24% P2+ and down 29% A25-54

PRIMETIME (8-11P)

FNC: 3,133,000 total viewers (394,000 in 25-54) up 47% P2+ and up 60% A25-54

CNN: 591,000 total viewers (121,000 in 25-54) down 2% P2+ and down 2% A25-54

MSNBC: 1,175,000 total viewers (109,000 in 25-54) down 10% P2+ and down 18% A25-54

1Q ‘25 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (4,552,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (4,103,000), Hannity (3,544,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (3,503,000), The Ingraham Angle (3,418,000),

Adults 25-54: Jesse Watters Primetime (507,000), The Five (500,000), Hannity (465,000), Gutfeld! (453,000), The Ingraham Angle (414,000)

MARCH 2025 RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (4,300,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (4,021,000), Special Report with Bret Baier (3,452,000), Gutfeld! (3,344,000), Hannity (3,338,000)

Adults 25-54: Jesse Watters Primetime (485,000), The Five (466,000), Gutfeld! (448,000), Hannity (432,000), The Ingraham Angle (379,000)

Source: Nielsen. Live+SD. 1Q’25 quarterly and March 2025 monthly ratings data. Average audience for cable news networks M-Sunday based on Total Day and Prime (6a-6a and 8P-11P), P2+, P25-54, P18-49. Cable News/Broadcast Program averages exclude repeats/specials and include the corresponding program name.  Includes only current Fox News lineup.

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 eight years and the most-watched television news channel for 23 consecutive years, currently attracting nearly 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. 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 nearly 70 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top 10 programs in the genre.

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FOX News Media Contacts:

Alexandra Coscia: 212.301.3272 or Alexandra.Coscia@FOX.com

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