Fox News

CBS and ABC Post Lowest-Rated April with Primetime Viewers This Century

Hannity Secures Best Month of 2026 Surpassing ESPN’s Coverage of The Masters

Gutfeld! Marks its Five-Year Anniversary Leading Late-Night Television 

Special Report with Bret Baier Leads CBS Evening News Head-to-Head in 20 Markets as Tony Dokoupil Marks Third Straight Week Under Four Million Viewers

NEW YORK – April 29, 2026 – FOX News Channel (FNC) closed April leading ABC and NBC in primetime for the month, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Averaging 3,224,000 viewers in weekday primetime, FNC outpaced both ABC (3,125,000 viewers) and NBC (3,047,000 viewers). In Monday-Sunday primetime, FNC drew 2.9 million viewers and 284,000 in the 25-54 demo. Across total day, FNC delivered 1.8 million viewers and 173,000 in the 25-54 demo in April. FNC also ranked number one in cable among Asian, Hispanic and upscale viewers throughout total day. Additionally, FNC saw year-over-year gains with viewers in total day and primetime. This month marked FNC’s third most-watched April with total day and primetime viewers in the network’s history. FNC commanded nearly 60% of the cable news share across both total day and primetime.

Notably, April marked historic lows for CBS. The network averaged under four million viewers in primetime for the first time this century. CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil continued to reach new lows slumping to 3.9 million viewers and 497,000 in the 25-54 demo, the show’s worst month since he became anchor. The program has now recorded three consecutive weeks under four million viewers and has marked nine weeks under this mark since Bari Weiss took over in October. Ahead of its final episode in May, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert posted its worst April ever in the 25-54 demo with just 292,000 viewers. Additionally, CBS Mornings cratered to 1.8 million viewers and 282,000 in the 25-54 demo this month, its worst April in history.

FNC’s nightly newscast Special Report with Bret Baier (weeknights, 6 PM/ET) averaged 3 million viewers and 272,000 in the 25-54 demo, continuing to close the gap with the broadcast competition. In April, Special Report led Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News in 20 top markets across the country including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington DC head-to-head from 6:30-7 PM/ET. The show also beat ABC’s World News Tonight in five markets including New Orleans, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Florida, Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis. On April 7, as President Trump paused strikes on Iran, Special Report (3,808,000 viewers) beat CBS Evening News (3,739,000 viewers).

As the number one show on television at 5 PM/ET, The Five secured 3.8 million viewers and 329,000 in the 25-54 demo in April, surpassing CBS’ Watson (3.6 million viewers). At 8 PM/ET Jesse Watters Primetime led all of primetime with 3.6 million viewers and 335,000 in the 25-54 demo, outpacing CBS’ Boston Blue (3.5 million viewers).

FNC’s hit late-night program Gutfeld! continued its dominance across all of late-night television as it marked five years since entering the space and disrupting the genre. This month, the program secured over 3 million viewers and 349,000 in the 25-54 demo. Gutfeld! once again outperformed every broadcast and cable late-night competitor, outpacing CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2.1 million viewers; 292,000 A25-54) as it goes off the air, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! (1.8 million viewers; 254,000 A25-54) and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (1.1 million viewers; 267,000 A25-54).

Hannity prevailed again at 9 PM/ET with 3.2 million viewers and 319,000 in the 25-54 demo, marking its best month of the year. In fact, Hannity surpassed the viewership of The Masters on ESPN (3.1 million viewers). Additionally, Laura Ingraham’s The Ingraham Angle (weeknights, 7 PM/ET) posted 2.8 million viewers and 254,000 in the 25-54 demo. At 11 PM/ET, FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher led the timeslot with 1.7 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 for the 62nd consecutive month in the 25-54 demo, dominating cable television while closing the gap against the broadcast morning shows. As CBS Mornings shrunk to historic lows, FOX & Friends led the show in 23 major markets throughout April including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston and Washington DC. FOX & Friends also topped ABC’s Good Morning America in 15 markets including Washington DC, Baltimore, New Orleans and Tampa Bay, Florida and defeated NBC’s The Today Show in 5 markets including Atlanta, Jacksonville, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina and Tulsa, Oklahoma during April.

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 million viewers. The Faulkner Focus at 11 AM/ET, anchored by Harris Faulkner, notched 2 million viewers while Outnumbered at 12 PM/ET earned 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 2.1 million viewers. Additionally, The Will Cain Show continued to grow the timeslot at 4 PM/ET seeing 2.3 million viewers. In fact, every single FNC daytime show between 9 AM-5 PM/ET outpaced broadcast offerings including CBS Mornings (1.8 million viewers), NBC’s Today with Jenna and Sheinelle (1.4 million viewers) and ABC’s GMA3 (1.4 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 Saturday and Sunday. FOX News Live anchored by Aishah Hasnie (Saturday, 12-2 PM/ET) was the top show of the day with 2 million viewers, marking its highest-rated month since 2021. Saturday in America hosted by Kayleigh McEnany (Saturday 10 AM – 2 PM/ET) nabbed 1.9 million viewers in April. My View with Lara Trump (Saturday, 9 PM/ET) was the top show in primetime with 1.6 million viewers, while Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) and FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla (Saturday, 10 PM/ET) followed with 1.5 million viewers.

On Sundays, FNC’s Maria Bartiromo’s Sunday Morning Futures earned the title of most-watched cable news show of the weekend, garnering 2.3 million viewers. At 11 AM/ET, The Sunday Briefing anchored by Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich averaged 2.1 million viewers and 253,000 in the 25-54 demo, its best month with younger viewers since launch. Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy (Sunday, 9 PM/ET) was the top show in primetime with 2 million viewers, while Life, Liberty & Levin (weekends, 8 PM/ET) and One Nation with Brian Kilmeade (Sunday, 10 PM/ET) followed with 1.7 million viewers. The Big Weekend Show (weekends 5-8 PM/ET) nabbed 1.8 million viewers.

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

WEEKDAY PRIMETIME

CBS: 3,816,000 viewers

FNC: 3,224,000 viewers

ABC: 3,125,000 viewers

NBC: 3,047,000 viewers

MONDAY – SUNDAY TOTAL DAY

FNC: 1,760,000 total viewers and 173,000 A25-54 (down 7% with viewers and down 12% with A25-54 vs. March 2026)

CNN: 602,000 total viewers and 93,000 A25-54 (down 6% with viewers and down 16% with A25-54 vs. March 2026)

MS NOW: 751,000 total viewers and 80,000 A25-54 (down 1% with viewers and flat with A25-54 vs. March 2026)

MONDAY – SUNDAY PRIMETIME (8-11P)

FNC: 2,861,000 total viewers and 284,000 A25-54 (down 4% with viewers and down 12% with A25-54 vs. March 2026)

CNN: 910,000 total viewers and 157,000 A25-54 (up 1% with viewers and down 10% with A25-54 vs. March 2026)

MS NOW: 1,256,000 total viewers and 135,000 A25-54 (flat with viewers and up 4% with A25-54 vs. March 2026)

APRIL RATINGS FOR THE TOP FIVE PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS:

Total Viewers: The Five (3,784,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (3,603,000), Hannity (3,211,000), Gutfeld! (3,028,000), Special Report (2,982,000)

Adults 25-54: Gutfeld! (349,000), Jesse Watters Primetime (335,000), The Five (329,000), Hannity (319,000), The Rachel Maddow Show (278,000)

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel. Month of April 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