FOX News Channel Surges to Highest-Rated Quarter in History of Cable News with Weekday Viewers Beating Broadcast Networks 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/
