Fox News Ratings Stunner as MSNBC & CNN Flounder

Rachel Maddow, Jesse Watters, and Anderson Cooper
MSNBC YouTube; Fox News YouTube; CNN YouTube

Fox News’ domination of cable news is showing no signs of letting up with the network holding 99 of the top 100 cable news telecasts last week.

Year-on-year figures show an even more stunning success story for Fox News.

According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen ratings for the week of May 12, Fox News was the only network to see gains in total viewers and the key Adults 25-54 demo compared to the same period last year. In primetime, the network rose a whopping +26% in total viewers and +52% in the key demo, while its total day numbers rose +23% in total viewers and +32% in the demo.

In comparison, MSNBC was down a dismal -29% in total viewers and -40% in the demo in primetime. During total day, the network dropped -36% in total viewers and -44% in the key demo.

Meanwhile, CNN decreased by -16% in total viewers and -11% in the demo during primetime and -28% in total viewers and -29% in the demo during total day.

Fox News was also up on the week prior, averaging 2.499 million total viewers and 282,000 in the demo during primetime for the week of May 12. This was up +2% in total viewers and +10% in the demo compared to the week beginning May 5. In total day, Fox News averaged 1.591 million total viewers (up +1% on last week) and 184,000 in the demo (down -3%).

MSNBC’s primetime lineup, which now includes The Briefing with Jen Psaki, averaged 811,000 total viewers and 67,000 in the demo. This was down -9% in total viewers and -13% in the key demo compared to the week prior. In total, the network averaged 532,000 total viewers (down -6%) and 47,000 demo viewers (down -10%).

CNN averaged 405,000 total viewers and 74,000 in the demo during primetime last week. This was down -11% in total viewers and -12% in the key demo on the week prior. In total day, the network averaged 341,000 total viewers (down -9%) and 58,000 viewers in the demo (also down -9%).

Fox News’ The Five led the way for the most-watched cable news show of the week, with 3.758 million total viewers and 380,000 in the key demo. In comparison, MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, now back to Monday nights only, amassed 1.704 million total viewers and 116,000 in the key demo.

Overall, Fox News held 99 of the top 100 cable news telecasts for the week and also pulled ahead of ABC and TNT (both airing live sports last week with the NBA and NHL playoffs going on) in primetime total viewers. Fox News averaged 3 million total viewers in weekday primetime, ahead of ABC’s 2.9 million and TNT’s 2.5 million.




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  1. O

    OliveDice

    Because the other networks lie all the time!

    73 14

  2. O

    OliveProcessor

    So sad, CNN at one time was the only cable network. They destroyed themselves with not reporting news. The biggest story from 2020-2024 was President Bidens mental health decline and CNN did not report what was happening with our President. FOX & Newman had been reporting the real news about President Bidens decline.

    62 13

  3. G

    GoldBug

    No FOX is the only station you get it from both sides. You should watch you will see.

    62 16

  4. O

    OrangeBucket

    Just these Three are enough to Never trust the main stream news other than Fox and NewsMax. 1) The Russia, Russia, Russia Collusion Narrative they Pushed to the very end. 2) The Hunter Biden Laptop Cover Up. 3) The Joe Biden’s Mental Health Cover Up. There are Plenty more. MSNBC, ABC, CNN, CBS are All just Propaganda mouthpieces for the Democrat Party. And it’s very simple to know Why just look who either owns them outright Or owns the vast majority of stock in them. The same can be said of the Liberal fish wrapper News and Podcasts. YES Fox News has a very strong Conservative slant to it. But they don’t try to hide that AND they have Plenty of Full Time Liberal and Independent speakers as well as Plenty of Liberal and Independent Guest speakers. Fox shows the Whole scoop on issues to and lets the viewers draw their own conclusions. Fox and NewsMax are about the only prime time News where you can get the whole story. The others cherry pick video clips, cut them Before all the information is shown, take things that were said out of context and walk very, very close to the line of out right lying. If you truly want the Truth you won’t find that on those “news” outlets. It’s that simple.

    46 14

    1. O

      OliveCactus

      Okay Rupert

      4 3

  5. R

    RedBee

    I think it's funny and it's true for a reason....fox tries to show both sides of the story and the MSM is just a bunch of biased libtards

    36 10

    1. G

      GreenSeahorse

      I watch Fox News because you can watch a story on Fox and go to CNN and watch something and it will be a completely different spin-off. Even when we were watching the riots at the colleges Fox was reporting anti-semitism and CNN was reporting protest and that was all it was.

      3 2

  6. G

    GreenGoggles

    Just the lies and cover-up the networks perpetuated regarding Biden's mental and physical state is reason enough never to watch them..they can't be trusted and they certainly NOT journalists..but conspirators

    30 5

    1. O

      OliveFlower

      The last straw for me was the Charlottesville lies. All the other networks kept playing a clip of Trump saying racist things. Then one night I was checking out YouTube videos. One said “the uncut version “. I could not believe what I saw and heard. What the mainstream media aired and what Trump actually said was day and night. From that point, I check all accusations via GrokAI and uncut versions on YouTube

      1 1

  7. G

    GreenBulb

    Right on Fox News!! All the other networks are “fake news “ ! No credibility!

    25 5

  8. B

    BlueClover

    I watch The Five, Gutfeld! and News at Night with Trace G. At times I'll watch Special Report with Brett.

    8

  9. A

    Abdul Muhammed

    I like watching/reading both sides of the political isle and deciding for myself HOWEVER CNN refuses to allow civil debate comment sections in any political story. It's so frustrating to find a factual error or wish to add a clarification to a story and find that they censor any dissenting opinions. That's why I get most of my "news" from Fox.

    7

  10. C

    CyanGuitar

    If we didn't have FOX NEWS AND FOX BUSINESS CHANNELS we would never get the TRUTH!!!

    9 5

  11. D

    Deck Hughes

    How does one consider NBC, CNN or PBS reliable at all. They covered up the biggest story of the decade......the Biden mental decline, and the second biggest story of the decade....the Hunter Biden laptop. Last night they repeated referred to the riots in LA as "mostly peaceful" and as "demonstrations."

    3

  12. R

    RedCoffee

    I watch Fox, Brett Baier daily for professional delivery of the news without the side of snark and moral superiority of CNN or MSNBC. The hate on those networks is just too much for me. They purely exist for those who's main purpose and preoccupation in life is to take out Trump. It's just sick

    2

  13. G

    GoldSubmarine

    Miss the Judge on the Five. It would be much better without a certain rotating member. Fox is great and so innovative.

    2

  14. C

    CyanMagnet

    I recognize Jesse Waters in the middle but who is that guy to the left of him?

    2

    1. G

      GoldCorn

      Maddow

      1

  15. G

    GoldDucky

    Still hooking?

    2

  16. G

    GoldWheel

    I feel the same about CNN, MSNBC and the lying liberal left for covering all of Joe's bs. Why is CNN and MSNBC fall far behind Fox News if they are so truthful? F.A.L.D..

    6 4

    1. G

      GreenRocket

      Many people watch Fox news solely and only for the entertainment and propaganda espoused on that network! What a waste of time. You could check out books as "Network of Lies"; "How Roger Ailes Turned a Network in a Propaganda Machine"; "The Fox Diet: Network Proaganda"; Fox news, the Fear Factory.

      1 1

  17. O

    OliveClover

    When you watch MSNBC and CNN it's all about Trump it's not about news The American people got tired of LIES and FAKE news

    1

  18. P

    PurplePopsicle

    It's just too bad that they don't stick to all the news, all the time. They don't show news that hurts the current administration, nor do they report anything that favors the Dems. I'm sorry, but I have a lot of trouble seeing both sides on Fox. There are times when I wish they had to stick to the whole truth or give up the second part of their name: "News".

    1

  19. O

    OrangeMagnet

    Yes this has to be the best spot to post a ridiculous ad for work at home, not only is it ignorant in itself but to try and say you make $35,000 a month...no one buying into that nonsense, I know this is probably a bot account posting on every msg board, but at least AI would make this a little more realistic...tell me more about how you travel from Greece to Japan every evening for dinner and go to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunsets on your own private jet

    1

  20. G

    GoldButterfly

    I don't love everything that I see on Fox News, and I'm really not crazy about the literally almost incestuous relationship they have with the Trump administration (now that Lara Trump has her own weekend show), but at least I know that I will hear more than one perspective, unlike the other networks. Yes, Fox News obviously leans to the right, but they also welcome Liberals, Independents, and whatever the heck Greg Gutfeld is. What the Fox haters don't seem to get is, they wouldn't be pulling the ratings they are if only right-wing extremists were watching. Fox is popular with independents and even many liberals because they present a more rounded perspective, which is why they are crushing all of the other networks.

    1

    1. O

      OrangeBucket

      That’s a pretty fair and accurate assessment.

      29 6

      1. O

        OrangeWeights

        I agree spot on

        1

    2. G

      GreenRocket

      Many people watch Fox news solely for the entertainment and propaganda espoused!

      3 13

      1. B

        BlueLocomotive

        They push far less propaganda than msnbc or cnn. Both those stations live on it. Start with the Steele dossier.

    3. O

      OrangeCoathanger

      Fox has more Liberal and Independent voters watching daily than any other station.

      3

    4. P

      PurpleRing

      Why do you suppose so many right leaning pundits and politicians avoid going on MSNBC and CNN? Plenty of left leaning folks go on Fox and like networks. Trump especially won’t do it. He only wants to appear with the bootlickers instead of facing accountability questions. He spends more time wanting to sue and try to silence free speech outlets like VOA, NPR and broadcast networks. All because he doesn’t like to be called out or hear differing opinions from his own.

      1 3

      1. B

        BlueLocomotive

        Who says msnbc wants repubs on their station? They cant get away with their lies if they do. Look what Jennings is doing on CNN. He is embarassing the liberals on those shows.

        1

    5. O

      OliveFlower

      You are so right. They also don’t browbeat the opposing view. Debate yes, but belittle, no

  21. R

    RedTurtle

    Another damocrat. Go Trump.

    7 6

  22. D

    Deck Hughes

    I think Special Report may be the best news program on televison

  23. R

    RedCoffee

    I could never trust a network that calls itself news but in court says it’s entertainment and also lied to me about the election being stolen. Obvious to me that viewers are not put first. And I never see positive Dem news on Fox. Totally lopsided and too close to Trump administration to be fair and truthful

  24. P

    PurplePopsicle

    What are they reporting about Trump's mental decline? Please don't insult the intelligence of Americans by claiming he is not in decline.

    1 1

  25. G

    GreenHat

    Networks that cater to one perspective, feeding them what they want to hear is not the news. I said networks, not network. The unbiased news networks may be boring and may not garner a loyal following, but they provide what is needed. Seek those sources out.

  26. G

    GoldDucky

    What are you a high end hooker?

  27. B

    BlueUmbrella

    I do not watch Fox News and never will; however, it is quite clear why their ratings are up. Trump won and Fox is a magnet for MAGA zealots. The two-thirds of the population who voted for Harris or did not vote at all are depressed that a convicted felon who is destroying our democracy is in office. We don't need to watch his insanity play out night after night. It is not good for one's mental state. I respect many of the MSNBC journalists--Maddow, Psaki, O'Donnell, Hayes, but I won't and can't hear about Trump's atrocious behavior day after day. I am also very angry about MSNBC's treatment of Reid, Capehart and Mohyeldin which showed significant devaluation and callousness toward these people of color.

    3 5

  28. G

    GreenButton

    How much do they pay you to post this trash?

    4 6

  29. P

    PurpleRing

    Fox was sued for lying and kiss trump's disgusting ass. Plenty of news sources out there.

    4 7

  30. M

    musksucks

    have to have your head up your ass to even like fox news or deep into the trump cult of idiots.😱😱😱😱😱😱

    7 11

    1. O

      OliveCactus

      So true. FAUX ia nothing more than the MAGA mouthpiece.

      4 5

    2. G

      GoldCorn

      So why are they killing the others in the ratings?

      1

  31. P

    PurpleRing

    Newsmax and One America News is for us. Fox is becoming too liberal

    3 9

  32. P

    PurpleBottleOpener

    People are watching FOX so they can still feel good about the way they voted. The other nets are closer to the truth, which is counter what these people want to believe.

    21 107

    1. R

      RedBone

      What ridiculous circular thinking.

      11

    2. R

      RedBone

      You must be a libtard. I compare the news shows and then look to verify which is closer to the truth. Fox is by far more truthful and most shows and not shoving their narrative down your throat

      70 13

      1. R

        RedSushi

        Didn't Fox pay some hefty fines a year or so ago for their lyes?

        1. R

          RedSushi

          I believe Tucker Carlson was involved in it...cost him his job didn't it?

        2. B

          BlueLocomotive

          I bet you dont know about the defamation lawsuits that cnn and msnbc just had to pay. I bet your news didnt report it.

    3. B

      BluePaw

      You really believed BIDEN was not mentally diminished when the world could see the truth!!

      MSN, CBS, etc were all pulling the wool over your eyes!! Get real!!

      15 1

    4. C

      CyanPin

      Yeah we're so sad about our vote. If the viewership went up, it's obviously because it's showing more truth than the other nets.

      8 4

    5. C

      CyanBucket

      Says the morally bankrupt insane nonhuman itthing. This itthing believed his leftwing propaganda and lies media about bidamns cognitive ability, that there was Russian collusion, there was no hunter laptop and of course that the word salad wino could coherently speak a sentence. I could go on, but why confuse this itthing with more facts.

      5 1

    6. G

      GoldWheel

      Wrong again. You will never learn and either will the Democrats. Bring on Newsom or Harris. Demos are not winning for another 12 years. Hahahahahaha

      5 1

    7. C

      CyanDog

      "the other nets are closer to the truth"? what big story did the other networks get right that Fox got wrong or failed to cover? i'll wait.