Fox News Dominates July Ratings, CNN Struggles
In July, Fox News Channel led all of television in viewership, outpacing major broadcast networks in several important categories, while CNN faced significant decline among the demographic sought by advertisers.
The network averaged 1.5 million viewers daily, a notable lead over MSNBC, which averaged 530,000 viewers, and CNN, which struggled to maintain viewership.
During prime time, Fox News attracted an average of 2.4 million viewers, more than double the total for MSNBC at 865,000. Meanwhile, CNN’s prime time audience dropped to just 497,000, trailing not only Fox News and MSNBC but also networks like ESPN and Hallmark.
This marks the 54th consecutive month in which Fox News outperformed both CNN and MSNBC in prime time.
Tribute to Robert Shaffer
Fox News also mourned the loss of a cherished field producer, Robert Shaffer, who passed away after a long illness.
Despite Fox’s strong performance, broadcast networks struggled, with NBC bringing in 2.1 million viewers and ABC averaging 1 million. Since summer began on June 20, Fox News consistently led the prime time broadcast networks, averaging 2.6 million viewers, compared to ABC’s 2.3 million, NBC’s 2.1 million, and CBS’s 2 million.
In the coveted 25-54 demographic, often targeted by advertisers, Fox News reported an average of 184,000 viewers, significantly outpacing competitors like MSNBC.
Late Night Success
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld continues to reign supreme in late-night television ratings as CBS’s Stephen Colbert’s show also experienced declines in viewership.
In July, CNN recorded a concerning low of just 62,000 viewers in the key demographic, while MSNBC lagged with only 52,000. In contrast, Fox News averaged 257,000 demo viewers during prime time, markedly higher than CNN’s 92,000.
MSNBC’s prime time line-up resulted in just 81,000 demo viewers, trailing behind various cable options and highlighting its ongoing challenges.
July marked the 53rd month in a row that Fox News led in both total viewers and key demographic metrics, commanding 63% of cable news viewership overall and 64% during prime time.
Shows like “The Five,” hosted by Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, and others, averaged 3.5 million viewers and 378,000 in the demo, significantly outperforming programs from CNN and MSNBC.
Interestingly, the most-watched non-Fox program was MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” but it aired only three times throughout July, limiting its reach.
Morning Programs Leading Ratings
“Fox & Friends” finished July with an impressive 1.3 million viewers and 169,000 in the demo, solidifying its status as the top-rated morning cable news program for 53 days straight.
Other daytime shows like “American Newsroom,” “Faulkner Focus,” and “Outnumbered” also helped Fox News dominate the ratings during the day.
Fox News’s weekend programming also performed well, with “The Big Weekend Show” averaging 1.5 million viewers, while “Sunday Morning Futures” had 1.7 million viewers. “My Views with Lala Trump” emerged as the standout weekend program during prime time with over 1.4 million viewers.
Throughout July, Fox News maintained its number-one position among various demographic groups, including Asians, Hispanics, and higher-income viewers.
Data provided by Nielsen Media Research illustrates these trends.
