Fox News

FNC Delivers Best Monthly Performance for Entire Lineup Since September

 

FNC Sweeps the Top 100 of the Month’s Top Cable News Telecasts 

 

 CBS Posts Weakest February in Primetime Since 2000

NEW YORK – February 25, 2026 – FOX News Channel (FNC) closed February by leading CBS in primetime for the month, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. FNC averaged 2.6 million viewers in Monday-Sunday primetime, outpacing CBS (2.4 million viewers), which posted its lowest-rated February since 2000. In weekday primetime, FNC drew 3.1 million viewers and 316,000 in the 25-54 demo surpassing CBS’ 2 million viewers and 278,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking the first time this year that FNC has led CBS in both categories. Across total day, FNC delivered 1.7 million viewers, the network’s strongest monthly performance since March 2025. FNC also ranked number one in cable news among Hispanic and upscale viewers throughout primetime. Additionally, FNC accounted for all top 100 cable news telecasts of the month, and every program in its weekday lineup posted its best month since at least September.

 

Notably, February marked historic lows for CBS. The network averaged just 2.4 million viewers in primetime, notching its lowest February performance of the 21st century. In his second month as anchor, CBS Evening News fell to its weakest February this century, delivering 4.4 million viewers and 538,000 in the 25-54 demo. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (262,000 A25-54) and CBS Mornings (1.8 million viewers; 263,000 A25-54) also posted their lowest February performance on record. ABC likewise recorded its lowest February primetime demo performance of the century, averaging 488,000 in A25-54.

 

The network’s nightly newscast Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged over 3.1 million viewers and 289,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing to close the gap with the broadcast competition with its most-watched month since March 2025 with total viewers. In February, Special Report led the first month of Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News in 14 top markets across the country including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington DC. The show also beat ABC’s World News Tonight in four markets including New Orleans, Jacksonville, Florida, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis.

 

As the number one show on television at 5 PM/ET, The Five secured over four million viewers and 337,000 in the 25-54 demo in February, surpassing ABC’s 911 Nashville (3.8 million viewers) and NBC’s Happy’s Place (3.5 million viewers). This marked the first month since March 2025 that The Five eclipsed four million viewers for a month. At 8 PM/ET Jesse Watters Primetime led all of primetime with 3,437,000 viewers and 329,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing ABC’s 20/20 (3,412,000 viewers).

 

FNC’s hit late-night program Gutfeld! continued its dominance across all of late-night television, securing over 3 million viewers and 347,000 in the 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! once again outperformed every broadcast and cable late-night competitor, outpacing ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2.1 million viewers; 315,000 A25-54), CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2 million viewers; 262,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.3 million viewers; 259,000 A25-54). 

 

FNC’s Hannity remained dominant at 9 PM/ET with 2.9 million viewers and 286,000 in the 25-54 demo. Additionally, The Ingraham Angle (weeknights, 7 PM/ET) posted 2.9 million viewers and 284,000 in the 25-54 demo, with Laura Ingraham continuing her reign as the most-watched woman in all of cable news. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher led the time slot with 1.8 million viewers.

 

FNC’s signature morning show FOX & Friends (weekdays, 6-9 AM/ET) finished the month with 1.4 million viewers and remained the number one cable news program in the mornings with both categories for the 60th consecutive month in the 25-54 demo, beating CNN and MS Now combined in viewers, per usual. As CBS Mornings shrunk to historic lows, FOX & Friends led the show in 20 major markets throughout February including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston and Washington DC. FOX & Friends also topped ABC’s Good Morning America in 14 markets including Washington DC, Baltimore, New Orleans and Tampa Bay, Florida and defeated NBC’s The Today Show in four markets including Atlanta, Jacksonville, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina and Tulsa, Oklahoma during February.

 

FNC’s daytime lineup continued to crush the competition, led by America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino (weekdays, 9-11 AM/ET), which saw 2.1 million viewers. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 2.1 million viewers while Outnumbered at 12 PM/ET earned over 2.1 million viewers. America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith also garnered 2.1 million viewers from 1-3 PM/ET. Martha MacCallum’s The Story (weekdays, 3 PM/ET) averaged 2 million viewers. Additionally, The Will Cain Show continued to grow the timeslot at 4 PM/ET seeing 2.3 million viewers. America’s Newsroom, The Faulkner Focus, Outnumbered, America Reports and The Story all had their most-watched months since March 2025. In fact, every single FNC daytime show between 9 AM – 5 PM/ET outpaced broadcast offerings including CBS Mornings (1.8 million viewers) and ABC’s GMA3 (1.6 million viewers).

 

FNC also continued to excel against the competition throughout the weekend for the month, winning every hour with total viewers, defeating CNN and MS Now by double to triple-digits among both categories on both days. Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany (Saturday, 10 AM-12 PM/ET) was the top show of the weekend with 2.1 million viewers and 184,000 in the 25-54 demo. FOX News Live (Saturday 12-2 PM/ET) anchored by Aishah Hasnie nabbed 1.7 million viewers in February. My View with Lara Trump (Saturday, 9 PM/ET) was the top show in primetime with 1.5 million viewers. 

 

On Sundays, FNC’s Sunday Morning Futures earned the most-watched cable news show of the day, garnering 1.9 million viewers. At 11 AM/ET, The Sunday Briefing, anchored by Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich, averaged 1.7 million viewers. Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) was the top show in primetime with 1.7 million viewers, while Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) and One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Sunday, 10 PM/ET) followed with 1.5 million viewers. The Big Weekend Show (weekends 5-8 PM/ET) also nabbed 1.7 million viewers.

 

FEBRUARY 2026 VIEWERSHIP & 25-54 DEMO (Live + Same Day):

WEEKDAY PRIMETIME

NBC: 6,882,000 viewers

ABC: 3,225,000 viewers

FNC: 3,072,000 viewers

CBS: 1,961,000 viewers

 

MONDAY – SUNDAY TOTAL DAY

FNC: 1,719,000 total viewers and 168,000 A25-54 (up 19% with viewers and up 18% with A25-54 vs. January 2026)

CNN: 565,000 total viewers and 93,000 A25-54 (up 11% with viewers and down 3% with A25-54 vs. January 2026)

MSNW: 709,000 total viewers and 79,000 A25-54 (up 21% with viewers and up 44% with A25-54 vs. January 2026)

 

MONDAY – SUNDAY PRIMETIME (8-11P)

FNC: 2,612,000 total viewers and 260,000 A25-54 (up 28% with viewers and up 32% with A25-54 vs. January 2026)

CNN: 807,000 total viewers and 154,000 A25-54 (up 22% with viewers and up 14% with A25-54 vs. January 2026)

MSNW: 1,136,000 total viewers and 131,000 A25-54 (up 28% with viewers and up 72% with A25-54 vs. January 2026)

 

FEBRUARY RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (4,002,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (3,437,000), Special Report (3,098,000), Gutfeld! (3,036,000), The Ingraham Angle (2,892,000)

 

Adults 25-54: Gutfeld! (347,000), The Five (337,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (329,000), Special Report (289,000), Hannity (286,000)

 

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Month of February 2026 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 specials 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 more than 24 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, including FOX One, 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