Media

Fox News Wrecks Competition In May Cable Ratings

Amber Athey Podcast Columnist
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Fox News dominated cable ratings in May, becoming the most-watched cable news network for the 197th straight month.

According to Nielsen Media Research, FNC was the most-watched basic cable channel for the month in total day viewers. FNC reached 1.4 million average total day viewers, making them the top basic cable channel for the 23rd consecutive month.

Fox continues to destroy cable news competitors CNN and MSNBC, delivering nearly triple the primetime viewership of CNN.

FNC hit an average of 2.38 million primetime viewers for the month, while MSNBC hit 1.65 million and CNN reached just 835,000. This trend continued for total day viewers, as Fox averaged 1.39 million compared to MSNBC’s 914,000 and CNN’s 655,000.

On top of their overall dominance, FNC experienced 2 percent growth in the coveted 25-54 age category. At the same time, MSNBC and CNN both experienced significant drops in their 25-54 viewers.

“Hannity” also bested MSNBC’s “Rachel Maddow Show” in their on-going feud for the top cable news show spot. CNN did not have a single show in the top 25 rated programs.

In overall cable channel rankings, CNN sits at number 8 behind Nickelodeon, Home and Garden TV, ESPN, Investigation Discovery, and more.

Fox Business Network, FNC’s sister channel, similarly bested the competition, beating fellow business news network CNBC. FBN’s win marked their 12th consecutive month as the most-watched business news channel on cable.

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