FOX News Channel surges past ABC, NBC, CBS among weekday primetime viewers with dominant third quarter

FOX News Channel surged past broadcast competition during the third quarter of 2025 and now leads all of television with weekday primetime viewers for the entire year. 

FOX News Channel averaged 3.3 million weekday primetime viewers through September, compared to 3.1 million for CBS, 3.1 million for ABC and 3 million for NBC. Its weekday primetime also topped ESPN's average audience of 2.1 million and dominated cable news options, as MSNBC managed 1.2 million and CNN settled for 641,000. 

During the third quarter, FOX News averaged 1.6 million total day viewers compared to 492,000 for MSNBC and 396,000 for CNN. During primetime, FOX News dominated with 2.5 million total viewers, compared to 802,000 for MSNBC and 538,000 for CNN. 

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This third quarter marked 95 consecutive quarters with FOX News finishing No. 1 in cable news among primetime viewers.

It was much of the same among the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54, as FOX News averaged 159,000 total day demo viewers and 243,000 during primetime to trounce MSNBC and CNN combined. CNN recorded its lowest-rated quarter in network history among the demo for both total day and primetime, while MSNBC hit lows not seen since 1998.

"The Five," with Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.7 million total viewers to finish as the No. 1 cable news program. "The Five" is now the first non-primetime program to be the most watched for 16 consecutive quarters.

"Jesse Watters Primetime," "Gutfeld!," "Hannity," "Special Report with Bret Baier," "The Ingraham Angle," "The Will Cain Show," "Outnumbered," "The Faulkner Focus," "America's Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino," Martha MacCallum's "The Story" and "America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith" all beat everything MSNBC and CNN had to offer as FOX News programs occupied the top 12 spots. 

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MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show" finished as the liberal network's most-watched show. Maddow, MSNBC's highest-paid star, only hosts her show on Mondays, whereas almost all other popular weekday cable news programs air five times per week. 

CNN's most-watched program was "Anderson Cooper 360," averaging 616,000 viewers and finishing No. 23 among cable news programs.

"The Five" also finished atop the critical demo, averaging 338,000 viewers age 25-54 as FOX News programs swept the top 13 in the category.

The "FOX & Friends" franchise remained the most-watched cable morning shows throughout the quarter, with "FOX & Friends" and "FOX & Friends First" both dominating competition.

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FOX News thumped competitors during the weekend, too, as Kayleigh McEnany's newly launched "Saturday in America" and "My View with Lara Trump" each averaged 1.4 million viewers. 

Maria Bartiromo's "Sunday Morning Futures" took the Sunday crown with an average audience of 1.8 million viewers. 

When it comes to the key demo, "FOX News Live" averaged 126,000 demo viewers to finish No. 1 on Saturdays and "The Sunday Briefing," anchored by Peter Doocy and Jacqui Heinrich, has averaged 186,000 through two weeks. 

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"FOX News @ Night," "FOX News Saturday Night with Jimmy Failla," "Life, Liberty & Levin," "Sunday Night in America," "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade" and "FOX & Friends Saturday" also had strong quarters.

"Hannity" finished September as the No. 1 cable news program in the demo with 391,000 viewers. 

FOX News Channel also finished No. 1 in cable news among Hispanic and Asian viewers among total day during the third quarter.   

Ratings data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.