MSNBC, CNN & Fox News Top Shows and Ratings Revealed
The cable news ratings for the third quarter of 2025 are in, and Fox News continues to dominate, accounting for 14 of the 15 top-watched programs in both total viewers and the key adults 25-54 demographic.
Fox News’ The Five was not only its own network’s most-watched program but was the top-ranked show across all cable news for the third quarter with an average of 3.7 million total viewers and 338,000 demo viewers, per AdWeek. The conservative political talk show is hosted by Greg Gutfeld, Dana Perino, Jesse Watters, and alternating hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr.
Overall, Fox News was down 6% in total viewers and 20% in the key demo during primetime when compared to the second quarter.
The only non-Fox News show in the Top 15 was MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, which averaged 1.842 million total viewers and 176,000 demo viewers, making it the network’s top-rated show. Maddow’s show landed at 13 in total viewers and 14 in the demo.
Compared to the second quarter, MSNBC’s total viewership decreased by 20% and its demo audience by 27%. This could partly be attributed to Maddow switching from five nights a week back to Monday nights only.
Over on CNN, Anderson Cooper 360 remained the network’s most-watched program in total viewers, averaging 616,000 viewers. However, CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip was the network’s most-watched show in the key demo, with 111,000 viewers. Neither number was enough to see either show rank in the Top 15.
CNN was down 17% in both total viewers and the demo in primetime compared to Q2.
Rob Schmitt Tonight was Newsmax’s most-watched program in total viewers with 367,000, while Finnerty held the top spot in the demo with 29,000. However, Newsmax overall was down 15% in total viewers and 14% in the demo during primetime compared to Quarter 2.
NewsNation’s top show was Cuomo with 184,000 total viewers and 17,000 demo viewers. The network was also up in primetime compared to the second quarter, with an increase of 8% in total viewers and 18% in the demo.
On CNBC, Squawk on the Street remained the network’s top-viewed program with 1760,000 total viewers and 37,000 demo viewers. In comparison to Q2, it was down 11% in total viewers and 30% in the demo during primetime.
Finally, Kudlow remained the top show in total viewers for Fox Business, averaging 261,000 viewers. Meanwhile, Making Money with Charles Payne held the top spot in the demo with 13,000 viewers. The network experienced an 8% decline in total viewers and a 20% decrease in the demo during primetime compared to Q2.
Check out the Top 15 most-watched shows in both total viewers and the key demo below.
Most Watched (Total Viewers)
- The Five – Fox News (3,700,000)
- Jesse Watters Primetime – Fox News -(3,336,000)
- Gutfeld! – Fox News – (2,940,000)
- Hannity – Fox News – (2,891,000)
- Special Report with Bret Baier – Fox News – (2,862,000)
- The Ingraham Angle – Fox News – (2,719,000)
- The Will Cain Show – Fox News – (2,216,000)
- Outnumbered – Fox News – (1,980,000)
- The Faulkner Focus – Fox News – ( 1,972,000)
- America’s Newsroom – Fox News – (1,972,000)
- The Story with Martha MacCallum – Fox News – (1,920,00)
- America Reports – Fox News – (1,881,000)
- The Rachel Maddow Show – MSNBC – (1,842,000)
- Fox News at Night – Fox News – (1,582,000)
- Fox and Friends – Fox – (1,329,000)
Most Watched (Adults 25-54)
- The Five – Fox News – (338,000)
- Jesse Watters Primetime – Fox News – (323,000)
- Gutfeld! – Fox News – (320,000)
- Hannity – Fox News – (305,000)
- Special Report with Bret Baier – Fox News – (280,000)
- The Ingraham Angle – Fox News – (265,000)
- The Will Cain Show – Fox News – (219,000)
- Fox News at Night – Fox News – (201,000)
- Outnumbered – Fox News – (200,000)
- America Reports – Fox News – (194,000)
- America’s Newsroom – Fox News – (194,000)
- The Faulkner Focus – Fox News – (190,000)
- The Story – Fox News – (187,000)
- The Rachel Maddow Show – MSNBC – (176,000)
- Fox and Friends – Fox – (141,000)
Conversation36 Comments
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Comments are closed on this story.
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MSNBC employs the worst .monsters on the planet...total hate filled propaganda.
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Conservatives like humor with their news. I've run into few liberals who understand jokes.
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I love how leftists criticize Fox News while being ignorant to the fact that there is only one leftist show in the top fifteen. Maybe the vast majority of Americans don't agree with the left's ridiculous world view and are immune to the propaganda other stations promote.
30 12
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The show is based in news but there is a lot of levity and silliness that makes it worth watching. Not like those on other alphabet soup letter stations that are Oh so serious and ignorant all the time!
26 11
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That's a Joke! The other stations wouldn't know the truth if it bit them in the Ass!
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Those of us who know that it's "themselves" and not "them selfs" watch Fox.
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F
Hmm, and none of the liberal media outlets have been sued for their BS? Tell me more...
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you have to remember that it reflects the populace
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🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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I heard on CNN that Kamala ran a good campaign also...at least fox news told the truth about rain being wet.
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Oh, they know the truth, and they do their best to conceal it when it casts any negative light at all on the left.
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What’s to be amazed ? It’s the top program in viewership both cable and public . Actually , I am amazed that you are amazed .
9 6
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Don’t forget least lied to.
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I am amazed that that many people watch The Five. I overheard it at my parents’ house and thought I had never heard so much stupidity in one place. At one point they were talking about a hurricane, warning about heavy rain, and one of them actually warned that rain was wet.
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@Frankie was referring to the article headline which would seem to imply Fox was behind MSNBC and CNN in third place despite the fact that the numbers show that are top rated. It is just typical poor reporting and/or poor editing that continually allows articles to be posted with misleading headlines. Someone skimming the headlines and not reading the actual story would definitely get the wrong idea about what is going on as is the case with far too many news headlines in today's media.
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never watched it, right?
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Fox News rated #1
Amazingly , you still name Fox News last on your article !
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You're a little brainwashed, but it's ok
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Weirdest reply yet!
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Goodness! They are not going to spoil the articles info, which they would if they ordered the list by ratings. This is done all the time in headlines. They often cut off headlines mid sentence so you have to click to even get the gist of it. Not everything is a conspiracy, unless you try to make it one.
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Spoken like a true ill-informed Fox “News” devotee. You know
nothing about the US Constitution’s limitation of two terms for Presidents.
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Trump 2029. That says it all. You can try...... But you can't fix Stupid.
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Look at the lists again. Only number 13 on the top list isn't Fox News. And on the second list, only number 14 isn't Fox News. Out of FIFTEEN SPOTS, Fox News is in every spot except one! So yes, they're last, but ALSO FIRST and ALSO MOST of the rest too.
Why am I not surprised that a Fox News fan couldn't figure this out on their own.
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Fox news tells the truth! Trump 2029
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Not a huge loss
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2029? You must have gotten that date from FOX news.
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America is full of people who can't think for them selfs, that's why people watch fox.
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Top 11 shows are on Fox lmao CNN and MSNBC can beat yourtubers ffs
10 14
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Hey Amazononian. In your case CFS, can' fix stup*d.
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I found out from Newsmax, the only other conservative news channel on TV, that the owner of Fox has ties with Epstein and refused to show much about it. Instead, they are showing the Guthrie case as a diversion. They are purposely focused on that all day long to avoid the real news that affect all of us. Although the kidnapping was bad, it really is taking away from our real news. Trump is doing so many great things lately, and we have so much news to cover. We cannot keep spending our entire media on one missing woman that affects the rest of us zero percent. Please spread the word that we have to move on. The owner of Fox is Epstein's best friend. Also, trans people are shooting up so many people. We need the media to talk about their violence. It's all covered up. The fraud from Democrats is being covered up also. We need Fox to stop!
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Epstein had "ties" to many high ranking, important figures on both sides. Get over it.
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C
Fox's top show primarily consists of jokes, and its third program is hosted by a comedian. The network has let go of most of its serious news reporters, leading to infrequent and often inaccurate interpretations of the news. As a result, their viewers tend to be the least informed, but they are also the most entertained.
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That's because it's at the bottom of "news" shows that you should believe. They got sued for a lot of money because of the lies they told, but some people still believe all the BS they spew.
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I HATE FOX NEWS AND ALL THE LIARS ON THAT SO CALLED NEWS STATION.
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Fox news is where all the people go to hide from the truth. The real news is shared by the other networks - thus each station has a smaller audience.
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I watch every news show on MSNBC day and night time. It does not matter what day it is; I am watching it. I never watch the
Fox News shows at all—not interested in those news shows. I do watch CNN at times especially when Dateline is on MSNBC. Most of the Dateline shows I am not interested in at all.
MSNBC has the best news reporters. I like them all. PLEASE KEEP MSNBC ON TV. You will lose me if you take it off the air.
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