Fox News

FNC Tops Basic Cable in Primetime for Third Month in a Row 

FNC Outpaces CNN and MSNBC in Total Viewers and Adults 25-54 in All Dayparts 

For the month of April, FOX News Channel (FNC) topped all of basic cable in total day for the 10^th consecutive month averaging 1.5 million total viewers. For the past three months, FNC has been the most-watched basic cable network in primetime, notching 2.4 million total viewers in April. Marking 184 months as the number one cable news network, FNC also topped CNN and MSNBC total day and primetime with total viewers and Adults 25-54.

In primetime, FNC averaged 2,441,000, up 28% over last year topping CNN’s 998,000 and MSNBC’s 1,564,000 in total viewers. With Adults 25-54, FNC garnered 488,000, up 42% over the same month last year, and ranked above CNN’s 357,000 and MSNBC’s 359,000.  In total day, FNC averaged 1,498,000 in total viewers, up 36% from last year, and beat CNN’s 746,000 and MSNBC’s 823,000.  In the 25-54 demo, FNC averaged 325,000, up 53% over last year, and again ranked ahead of CNN with 253,000 and MSNBC with 186,000. Additionally, CNN was the only network down in primetime in both categories and April marked the third consecutive month that MSNBC outpaced CNN in P2+ in primetime.

During the month of April, FNC claimed eight of the top 10 programs in total viewers and 6 of the top 8 in the 25-54 demo. Additionally, every 5AM-11PM/ET weekday program on FNC was up double-digits in both viewers and the 25-54 demo compared to the same month last year. During primetime, the 8PM/ET hour was the number one cable news hour across the board with 3,191,000 in total viewers (up 15%) and 575,000 in A25-54 (up 32%). At 9PM/ET, FNC delivered 2,662,000 in total viewers (up 16%) and 541,000 in A25-54 (up 30%). Hannity (10PM/ET) averaged 2,496,000 in total viewers (up 42%) and 561,000 in the demo (up 42%). The First 100 Days (7PM/ET) averaged 2,131,000 in total viewers (up 27%) and 423,000 (up 57%) in the A25-54 demo. At 6PM/ET, Special Report with Bret Baier delivered 2,450,000 in total viewers (up 22%) and 439,000 in the demo (up 36%).  FNC’s original ensemble program The Five (5PM/ET) was up 27% in total viewers with 2,476,000 viewers and up 40% in the demo with 417,000 viewers.

 FNC’s daytime programming also notched double-digit gains: FOX & Friends (6-9AM/ET) is on pace to deliver its most-watched year in network history and delivered 1,620,000 total viewers (up 54%) and 383,000 (up 76%) in A25-54. America’s Newsroom (9AM/ET) was up 36% in P2+ (1,850,000) and 61% in A25-54 (373,000); Happening Now (11AM/ET) averaged 1,598,000 P2+ (+32%) and 322,000 in A25-54 (+53%). FNC’s Outnumbered (12PM/ET) delivered 1,776,000 total viewers (up 40%) and 337,000 viewers (up 51%) in A25-54). Additionally, FNC’s Sunday (11AM/ET) media analysis program MediaBuzz (1,339,000 P2+; 307,000 A25-54) outpaced CNN’s Reliable Sources (931,000 P2+; 281,000 A25-54) for the month of April in both total viewers and in A25-54. See attached for the cable news rankers.   

RATINGS FOR THE TOP 5 PROGRAMS IN CABLE NEWS FOR APRIL 2017: 

Total Viewers:  8PM/ET hour (3,191,000); 9PM/ET hour (2,662,000); Hannity (2,496,000); The Five  (2,476,000); Special Report with Bret Baier (2,450,000) 

Adults 25-54: 8PM/ET hour (575,000); Rachel Maddow Show (562,000); Hannity (561,000); 9PM/ET hour (541,000); Special Report with Bret Baier (439,000) 

APRIL 2017  VS. APRIL 2016 NIELSEN NUMBERS (7 day week, L+SD):

TOTAL DAY:

FNC: 1,498,000 total viewers – up 36% (325,000 in 25-54 – up 53%)

CNN: 746,000 total viewers – up 17% (253,000 in 25-54 – up 31%)

MSNBC: 823,0000 total viewers – up 66% (186,000 in 25-54 – up 40%)

PRIMETIME: 8-11PM/ET

FNC: 2,441,000 total viewers – up 28% (488,000 in 25-54 – up 42%)

CNN: 998,000 total viewers – down 11% (357,000 in 25-54 – down 4%)

MSNBC: 1,564,000 total viewers – up 82% (359,000 in 25-54 – up 61%)

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to delivering breaking news as well as political and business news.  A top five cable network, FNC has been the most-watched news channel in the country for more than 15 years and according to a Suffolk University/USA Today poll, is the most trusted television news source in the country. Owned by 21st Century Fox, FNC is available in 90 million homes and dominates the cable news landscape, routinely notching the top ten programs in the genre.

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