For the first time in 15 weeks, Fox News did not reign supreme in the primetime cable ratings.
According to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News finished second in primetime for the week of September 3 to September 9. The week prior, the network celebrated its 14th consecutive week as the No. 1 cable network in primetime. (RELATED: WWE Gives CNN A Ratings Smackdown)
ESPN managed to snag the top primetime spot thanks to its heavy coverage of the U.S. Open. ESPN brought in 2,561,000 viewers with its wall-to-wall coverage of the tennis championship, with Fox News trailing behind with 2,326,000 viewers.
Fox News still managed to finish 1st in total day ratings, garnering 1,426,000 average viewers across the week.
Meanwhile, Fox News’ cable news competitors, MSNBC and CNN, finished second and fifth in total day, respectively. In primetime, MSNBC finished third with 2,043,000 average viewers.
CNN finished 6th in primetime behind ESPN, Fox, MSNBC, HGTV and USA.
Fox Business Network also finished well ahead of competitor CNBC, claiming the top six programs in business television.