Fox News, CNN & MS NOW Latest Ratings Show Huge Swings
What To Know
- Fox News remains the top-rated cable news network, though it saw year-over-year declines in both total viewers and the key demo.
- MS NOW and CNN posted significant year-over-year gains.
- Fox News dominated the list of most-watched cable news shows, holding 14 of the top 15 spots in total viewers.
The latest cable news ratings are in, and while Fox News remains in the top spot, MS NOW and CNN are showing significant year-over-year gains.
According to AdWeek, citing Nielsen big data + panel for the week of May 25, Fox News averaged 2.299 million total viewers and 183,000 viewers in the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic. This was up 2 percent in total viewers and down 12 percent in the demo compared to the previous week.
During total day, the network averaged 1.448 million total viewers and 130,000 demo viewers. Compared to the week prior, Fox News was down 4 percent in total viewers and down 6 percent in the demo.
MS NOW, meanwhile, averaged 881,000 total viewers and 100,000 key demo viewers in primetime for the week of May 25. This was down 4 percent in total viewers compared to the week before but up 23 percent in the 25-54 demo.
In total day, MS NOW averaged 554,000 total viewers and 57,000 demo viewers. This was down 4 percent in total viewers compared to the week prior, but up 2 percent in the key demo.
CNN averaged 590,000 total primetime viewers and 108,000 demo viewers for the week of May 25. This was down 1 percent in total viewers and flat in the demo compared to the week before.
Across total day, the network averaged 432,000 total viewers and 69,000 demo viewers. This was down 2 percent in total viewers but up 3 percent in the demo.
Compared to the same period in 2025, Fox News was flat in total viewers during primetime but down 24 percent in the demo. In total day, Fox News was down 2 percent in total viewers and down 26 percent in the demo, making it the only network with declines in both measured categories.
MS NOW was up 23 percent in total viewers and up 54 percent in the demo in primetime compared to last year. It was also up in total day, with an increase of 10 percent in total viewers and 21 percent in the demo.
CNN was also up year over year, with total viewers up 58 percent and the demo up a massive 77 percent in primetime. During total day, the network was up 40 percent in total viewers and 41 percent in the key demo.
As usual, Fox News held 14 out of the 15 spots for the most-watched cable news shows of the week in total viewers. The Five stood at the top with 3.33 million total viewers in the 5 pm slot. The only non-Fox News show in the Top 15 was MS NOW’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, with 1.194 million total viewers at 10 pm.
Fox News also held 12 of the top 15 spots in the demo, with The Five again finishing at the top with 285,000 demo viewers. CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins took the 8th spot with 161,000 viewers, while CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip held the 14th spot with 142,000 viewers. MS NOW’s All In with Chris Hayes ranked 15th with 141,000 viewers.
Conversation12 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
M
If you believe these lower viewership numbers for conservative stations, ie; FOX, NEWMAX …
I have a bridge I wanna sell you !
Consistently Fox’s “GUTFELD!” has been in the top spot for late night TV viewership.
FACT : it’s the Gutfeld show that’s ousted the late night likes of Steven Colbert, Trevor Noah, James Corden.
Ratings have tanked for Kimmel due to his nasty wife’s inability to write comedy for Jimmy … I’ll leave all this here so many can google & vet my words.
GO GUTFELD!
-
A
No need to Google as you’re spot on !
-
K
Gutfield is a joke he knows nothing about politics and he's 4'10 inches tall can you say umpa lumpa
-
-
C
ha ha ha... going from 10 viewers to 20 viewers is a 100% increase... leave it to leftists biased media to cook numbers
-
B
Where are your facts? If just opinion counts, I’d say the others plus the DNC should receive the Joseph Goebbels Propaganda Award.
My liberal Jewish friends believe the Democrat/Socialists are on the right track. Concomitantly they are really concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism. Because the main stream fail to cover that the Socialist Democrats spew a antisemitism
Mantra constantly.
-
R
The only time CNN gets any views is when Gutfeld runs a clip, rightfully, mocking them.
-
A
One primary reason that Fox stays at or near the top is that they and NewsMax are about the only conservative aligned media. The others are all liberal aligned and spread out among them. Now commenters on this site will Lie & Try to tell you that those liberal channels are the only ones who deal in facts. Yeah right, sure, sure. They mix facts in with liberal actions to take things out of context and leave important info. out of the narrative and slant the “facts” to the left. YES Fox does similar slanting things to conservative. But here’s the Huge difference. You will see Important News items on Fox that the liberal channels either won’t show at all or give a 10 second note and move away at 10x light speed away from the subject. Why ? Because 95% of those Important News items are things that are damaging to the liberal left image. They don’t Want to talk about them !! So they either avoid them all or make One reference lightning fast or try to water the issue down so it doesn’t Appear as bad as it really is.I believe there are thousands maybe millions of liberal minded people who would be stunned by some of the news they never see or hear about. So they get it much later second or third hand taken out of context or diluted to reduce the bad or ugly. How many know about Minnesota Attorney General dropping All charges against the protestors who Invaded and Disrupted the worship services of a Church there ? They still face Fed charges. Was a Clear violation of the law.
-
N
Fox spread more propaganda than just facts how many journalists are at Fox than at the other network. Fox is more like a social media platform.
-
A
No it’s propaganda in Your liberal lens. But it’s not to millions of other people. Also you’re liberal left channels tend to be fixated, no obsessed with politics mainly Trump bashing. People outside of the Left get sick of hearing the TDS over and over again. Fox brings a variety of Interesting items and issues for viewers. They also have just good old Fun segments. Not the lock step We Hate Trump and/or the GOP 24/7 like the liberal left. I fully realize that the Trump Hate is like a pacifier to the Left. That’s Why Colbert and Kimmel are so popular with the Left, they’re “jokes” just spew Trump Hate. But here’s the problem for You and your Comrades. The U.S. is not All liberal left. Far from it. In addition to conservatives the Independents might not necessarily like Trump and/or the GOP but they are sick and tired of You’re version of news. They want to see other news items. Fox provides that. Also Fox shows items and issues that You’re news won’t dare show as they’re afraid it’ll harm their liberal leftist narrative. IF they do it’s a lightning quick spot or a watered down taken out of context spot. Something like State TV that China or N. Korea would run. What’s so wild is the Left has all that power and Still loses elections ! Americans are much smarter than what the liberal left give them credit for !
-
-
-
G
I can’t believe ,that these shows are still broadcast,with those numbers! Nobody is watching them . What company would advertise with them ,their media directors should be fired 😢
-
M
I did use Google and watched a few shows and he's just not funny. Just pretty sad, honestly. Thanks for letting me know your bias, MAGA! I guess to each their own? Comedy shows that don't make me laugh are just a waste of my time, but perhaps I didn't see the best episodes? Or perhaps you just have poor taste (along with your fellow maga people who keep it in a top spot?). To be fair, I often do not find Jimmy Kimmel or James Corden funny, either.
-
J
great points made by the previous two comments..way to go!
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services