Fox News Channel tops NBC, ABC and CBS in key ratings measurable for second straight summer

Fox News Channel of the TV landscape in August, topping NBC, ABC and CBS in weekday primetime for the second consecutive summer while crushing cable news competitors in August. 

Since the start of summer, has averaged 2.6 million viewers during weekday primetime programming to beat NBCs 2.5 million, ABCs 2.3 million and CBS 2 million. 

While Fox News is outdrawing broadcast networks, it is also leaving other cable news outlets in the dust. In August, Fox News averaged 1.4 million total day viewers, while MS NOW managed 599,000 and CNN settled for 439,000. 

It was much of the same during the primetime hours of 8–11 p.m., as Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers compared to 940,000 for MS NOW and only 624,000 for CNN. 

“The Five,” with Dana Perino, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Emily Compagno, Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., averaged 3.3 million total viewers to finish as the during August. “Jesse Watters Primetime” averaged 2.9 million viewers to take the primetime crown. 

“Gutfeld!,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” “Hannity” and “The Ingraham Angle” all finished with larger audiences than anything MS NOW or CNN had to offer as Fox News delivered 13 of the 15-most-watched programs on cable news. 

The highest-rated MS NOW program, “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which only aired four times the entire month because its namesake host is on a Mondays-only schedule, finished sixth. 

CNNs top-rated program was “CNN Newsnight,” which finished No. 24 among cable news offerings. 

Meanwhile, “FOX & Friends” finished August with 1.2 million viewers to remain the No. 1 cable news morning show in both categories for the 66th consecutive month, beating CNN and MS NOW combined in the process. 

“Americas Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino,” “The Faulkner Focus,” “Outnumbered,” “America Reports with Sandra Smith and John Roberts,” Martha MacCallums “The Story” and “The Will Cain Show” all thrived as Fox News daytime lineup continued to dominate. 

Fox News also continued to shine throughout the weekend in August, defeating CNN and MS NOW in both total viewers and the key demographic of adults age 25-54. 

“Saturday in America with Kayleigh McEnany” was the most-watched show on Saturdays with 1.4 million viewers, while “Sunday Morning Futures” and “Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy” averaged 1.4 million viewers apiece to share the Sunday title.  

Data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.