Fox News Channel dominated cable during the first quarter of 2024, while CNN hit an embarrassing 33-year low.
Fox News averaged two million viewers during primetime from 7-11 p.m. ET to finish No. 1 in cable during the first quarter, while MSNBC managed 1.2 million and CNN settled for only 606,000 average viewers.
"The Ingraham Angle," "Jesse Watters Primetime," "Hannity" and "Gutfeld!" helped Fox News finish as the most-watched cable news outlet during primetime for the 89th straight quarter, dating back to the first quarter of 2002.
Fox News averaged 1.3 million total day Q1 viewers, finishing No. 1 in cable as the only network to crack the one-million viewer plateau. MSNBC finished second with an average audience of 814,000 viewers, while CNN settled for only 467,000. It was the 12th quarter in a row that Fox News finished No. 1 among total day viewers.
Fox News beat MSNBC and CNN combined in both categories.
When it comes to the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults age 25-54, Fox News flattened cable news competition. Fox News averaged 156,000 total day viewers in the category, compared to 85,000 for CNN and only 82,000 for MSNBC.
It was CNN’s lowest-rated quarter among total day demo viewers since at least 1991 for an all-time low in the network’s recorded history.
Fox News averaged 221,000 demo viewers during primetime throughout the first quarter while CNN managed only 121,000 and MSNBC drew only 119,000.
"The Five," with Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Watters, Dana Perino, Jeanine Pirro and rotating co-hosts Jessica Tarlov and Harold Ford Jr., became the first non-primetime program to ever top cable news for 10 consecutive quarters, averaging over 3 million viewers to finish as the most-watched program.
"Gutfeld!" averaged 304,000 demo viewers to lead all of cable news primetime offerings in the category.
"Special Report with Bret Baier" averaged 2.2 million viewers to dominate its timeslot. "FOX & Friends," "America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino," "The Faulkner Focus," "Outnumbered," "America Reports with John Roberts and Sandra Smith," Martha MacCallum’s "The Story," "Your World with Neil Cavuto" and "FOX News @ Night" all had strong months as Fox News aired 95 of the top 100 telecasts in cable news for the entire quarter.
"Cavuto Live" averaged 1.3 million viewers to finish No. 1 in cable news on Saturdays, while "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" averaged 1.6 million to take the Sunday crown. It was Fox News Channel’s highest-rated quarter since the first quarter of 2023.
Fox News also closed out the quarter strong, averaging 1.3 million total day viewers and 2.4 million primetime viewers to finish No. 1 among all basic cable offerings in both categories during March.
All data courtesy of Nielsen Media Research.
